


Marley's Ghost

by jimrhixson



Category: A Christmas Carol - Charles Dickens
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-11-24
Updated: 2019-11-24
Packaged: 2021-02-26 04:20:17
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 5
Words: 25,539
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21547480
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/jimrhixson/pseuds/jimrhixson
Summary: Follow Jacob Marley through the world of ghosts as he experiences Dickens' "A Christmas Carol" from his own unique perspective.You will never look at "A Christmas Carol" the same way again.
Kudos: 7





	1. The Funeral

Marley was dead; to begin with. There is no doubt whatsoever about that. He didn't know he was dead. No, all that he knew was that he was slowly floating upward toward a dirt-encrusted ceiling of a foul-smelling hospital room. He was feeling anxious as his face neared the rotted wooden ceiling.

"What is happening?" he wondered. Marley actually winced as his nose pushed into the wood and through it. He emerged on the other side in a cramped, dank, rat infested crawl space just under the roof of the old hospital. His eyes darted back and forth, trying to understand the events taking place all around him. As he finally rose up past the weather-beaten shingles into the darkness of the night sky, he was starting to realize his predicament. He remembered how that last coughing fit had been so violent, and how cold he had felt afterward.

"I am dead," he realized. One would have thought that this would have been sad news, but to tell the truth, Jacob couldn't have cared less. He had hated his life and was starting to look forward to what would come next. His soul was growing and he was beginning to understand things he had never known while he walked upon the earth. No, old Marley didn't mind being as dead as a doornail, not in the slightest. In fact, he was thrilled. He felt better than he had ever felt while he was alive, and as he rose up toward the blissful solitude of the distant stars, he began to weep.

"I am free! No more fighting to get ahead," he mused, "finally a chance to find some peace." Marley continued rising above the earth. He had read that the earth was round, but now as the giant blue orb fell away from him; he realized what a perfect sphere it was. The magnificence of death was taking hold of old Jacob Marley and he was smiling, something that he hadn't done in a very long time. Soon a glistening speck of light appeared off in the distance. At first he thought it was a star, but it was growing in size so quickly that he knew it was something different. The closer Marley got to the growing light source the more he wanted to race toward it as fast as he could. He could almost make out the form of the glowing body as he continued hurtling through space. He could feel an unbridled force emanating from the distant brilliance. He wasn't sure exactly what he was feeling until he was so close he could almost touch it. He was unable to contain his joy as he found himself staring up into a huge doorway of light. Within seconds he knew what he had been feeling. The force that was being given off by the giant doorway... was love.

It had been so long since Jacob had allowed himself to feel any love at all, and now he was faced with an abundance of it. It looked like an enormous waterfall, except instead of a wall of falling water it appeared to be a wall of light. As the beleaguered spirit stared into the brilliant cascade he began to feel a joy slowly rising in him. It was a feeling he hadn't felt since he was a child. A giddy excitement began to overwhelm him. He wanted nothing more than to go through the lightfall and enter into the world beyond.

"The gates of Heaven," he thought to himself, "they are real." He looked down to see his transparent hand slowly rising up to meet the rushing glow. Somehow, he instinctively knew that the moment his hand entered the lightfall, he would find peace. He sensed that it would be bathed in warmth and that love would begin rushing up into the rest of him.

He thrust his shimmering right hand into the lightfall. He was so happy to finally be coming home after a very lonely and painful life.

"Oh sweet joyful Heaven," Marley said, growing excited, "How I have missed your sweet light and your gentle warmth. However, to his horror, instead of pleasure Jacob felt nothing but agony, as his hand moved forward. His fingers shriveled into bony twigs and were immediately covered in icicles. An icy burning sensation shot up his arm and he yanked the withered hand free. A transparent metallic shackle was now bound tightly around his wrist. Covering the surface of the flow he could see a memory from his early childhood. After his drunken father had squandered away the last of the family's savings, debt collectors had come for everything they owned. Finally, in desperation, Marley's abusive father sold him to a workhouse.

"I hate you!" he heard his childhood self yelling at his semi-conscious father, "I hope you drink what is in that bottle until you die." Jacob had never seen his family after that day. It was one of the bitterest memories of his life. He shook his head trying to shake off the sadness. He knew nothing would heal his pain except what awaited him beyond the luminous gate.

"I don't understand," he begged, "Why won't you let me in?" This time he pushed his left hand into the icy chill. Again, a frigid heat raced up his arms as his fingers withered and died. He jerked his hand out of the light and, just as before, he found himself bound by a transparent manacle around his wrist. Marley felt his blood boiling. This was an outrage! Once again a memory of his youth lit up in front of him. It had taken place a few years after the first. He was still working off his father's debt at the workhouse.

"Mark my words," the young Marley had said to some of the other boys at the workhouse. "I will be the richest man in this city. No one will ever be able to tell me what to do again." Young Jacob had said this just a few days before he was released from the workhouse. Now, as he stared at the second shackle, Marley realized that these two moments had driven his entire life. His relentless pursuit of wealth could be traced back to his hunger to prove himself to both his deadbeat father and his friends, who were the first ones ever to believe in him. He had forgotten about both of these events, but they had obviously been lurking in the shadows tirelessly, driving his greed. Marley was horrified. The thought of being driven from heaven after getting so close was unimaginable. Jacob wasn't the kind of man to give up after a couple of setbacks. Determined to enter the luminous gate at all cost, he shoved his right hand back into the light. Instantly chain links began to form attaching themselves to the manacle around his wrist. Like before, another vision appeared in front of him.

"Let me get that for you, Governor," he watched himself say from the past. The young Jacob was helping an old man with his coat, while sliding his hand into the pocket and stealing the man's watch. Marley forced his throbbing hand into the doorway even further as young Jacob also pushed his hand deeper into the old man's pocket. Marley was shaking as he ached with a powerful desire to go through the lightfall and enter the bliss beyond.

"Please!" he screamed as he jammed his other hand into the shinning surface. The pain was excruciating, but he kept trying to reach forward. A chain appeared on that shackle as well. Each link formed and began pulling him backward and out of the light. He forced his left hand further in, but the burning cold made his fingers ache as they clenched into a tight ball.

"Of course I love you," a twenty-five year old Jacob said to large, unattractive woman, "I just need to borrow this money until I can establish myself. How else will I be able to pay for that large wedding you always dreamed of?" The large woman faded, but her voice could still be heard, begging him to return the money when he had called off the engagement. Jacob felt a surge of guilt as he thought about how devastated the young woman had been when he abandoned her and took most of her savings. His inner demons were getting the best of him and his heart was imploding. In a state of complete desperation, Marley plunged his head into the lightfall. He knew immediately it was a mistake. His head felt like it was going to explode and his thoughts were frozen solid in the icy glow. It was like being struck in the head by a bolt of lightning. His face tightened and his eyes were frozen shut, but still a vision began to play inside his head.

"Listen to me, Ebenezer," the memory of Scrooge's first day on the job said, "If you are going to work for me, then I need to know that you are a man of a serious nature and are as motivated by profits as I am. We are here to make money, not friends. This business and business means war." Marley had hired Scrooge fresh out of his apprenticeship and had molded the young Ebenezer to be just as greedy and selfish as he was. This thought shook Marley to his core. Not only had he ruined his own life, but he had destroyed Scrooge's as well. Marley started gasping for breath as another larger shackle was now tightening around his throat. He felt the chain links forming down his shoulders and they were ripping his neck and head backwards. The long strands of steel were slowly choking the life out of him. Jacob Marley gathered all of his strength and heaved himself forward one last time. The force of resistance he felt was paralyzing. Instead of moving forward into the light he was flying backwards and out into darkness. His teeth ground into each other as he fought against the heavy chains slowly dragging him to his fate. He could feel himself falling as he watched the giant sparkling gate rise up and out of sight.

"I have been rejected, "was all that was going through his mind. He continued falling at a phenomenal rate. As he plunged downward he was in shock, trying to make sense of the events he had just witnessed.

"But, I was a good man of business," was all he managed to say. The earth was rising up to meet him and he felt utterly lost. This time instead of seeing the planet's majestic beauty, all he could see was the ugliness of all the selfish people, trapped down there, on that lonely little world. The giant blue ball grew underneath him and soon he could tell that he was racing towards the center of some large city. He only had a few seconds to wonder where was going, before he landed with a thunderous thud, smack dab in the middle of his old counting house.

"What was that?" he heard his old partner, yelling from his desk. Marley could still hear the coins Scrooge had been staking, bouncing noisily to the floor. Apparently, when a soul falls from grace its impact can be felt by the living. He lay there weeping on the floor for several minutes listening the Scrooge blaming his clark for the unknown commotion. Jacob felt broken and empty, like a coin purse robbed of all of its gold.

"Oh shut up, Scrooge," Marley said at last, "It wasn't his fault; it was mine. Poor old damned Jacob Marley." He looked down at the chains that lay all around him on the floor. The coiled lengths ended in all sorts of different items wrought in transparent steel. There were cash-boxes, keys, padlocks, ledgers, deeds, and heavy purses. The tired ghost slowly rose up off the ground, driven by his anger, which was now so toxic, that he began screaming at everyone and everything in reach. Scrooge was still huffing and complaining as he hurriedly crawled around the floor of his office, retrieving the fallen coins.

"Look at you, Ebenezer, scurrying around like rodent trying to find your little pieces of gold." Marley was losing control of his anger as he continued ranting. "You were never half of the man that I was," he said, trying to pound his fist on Scrooge's desk. "Neither in life nor in business. You were so green when I found you that you didn't know the difference between a mortgage and a personal loan." Scrooge was still stacking his coins in perfect little piles again.

"Are you listening to me, Ebenezer?" Jacob tried to get his partner's attention, swiping his hand into the stack of coins, but it passed right through. Marley was in turmoil as he was still trying to figure out what he had done that was worth eternal banishment. Jacob's mind flashed very briefly to the memory he had seen earlier.

"My father sold me!" he hissed, "I had to climb out of the gutter on my own, no family, no one helped me. I had to do it myself. He was rambling on about having to compromise one's morals to get ahead in the world, when Bob Cratchet's head popped up from behind the large desk.

"Found two more Sir," he said sounding a bit like loyal dog. Marley's anger shifted toward Bob.

"And you, Cratchet," Jacob said boiling, "You were no good either when we hired you. How many times did I have to silence you and Ebenezer? You too were in here, cackling about some joke or some other useless folly. I would scream, "Back to work!" and then a few minutes later you would start up again, laughing like a couple of school chums. Well I didn't go to a fancy a school, No, I had to earn my money the old fashioned way..." A vision of the poor girl he had charmed out of her savings cut him off mid-sentence. He had meant to say that he had earned it but other words spilled out instead.

"I stole it! I.. stole it." Marley was still frozen in thought as Bob pushed past him and back to the tank in which he sat.

"It's not fair, Scrooge," he said, feeling overwhelmed, "You did many of the things that I did, in the name of business, and I don't see any chains..." Once again he was interrupted, this time by the sight of many lengths of invisible chains lying all around Scrooge, who was as completely unaware of them, just as Jacob had been when he was alive. Marley was now enraged and he stormed off to his office.

"Good day to you both!" he said, walking into his old office. In life, when he was angry, he would retreat there to fume in private and often throw things. Only now, when he reached for an old plaque setting on his desk in an attempt to throw it into the wall, his hand passed right through it. He was enraged. He reached for an old oil lamp, then a thick ledger, and finally his chair. When none of these things would budge, he resorted to throwing the only things he could: the items attached to his chains. He threw a heavy purse, but it merely sprang back and returned to him. He kicked at some keys, and then when his anger could climb no higher, he picked up the largest of the three cash boxes and threw it as hard as he could. The cashbox flew straight into the face of Bob Cratchet, who, for some reason, had chosen this moment to enter Jacobs's office.

"I am just getting a ledger, Sir," he heard Bob saying; answering Scrooge, who had asked where he was going. Marley slumped into his desk chair feeling exhausted and depressed. Bob reached into an old stack of ledgers and picked out a random one. Marley wasn't sure why Cratchet had entered his office to retrieve a ten year old ledger which he couldn't possible have a use for.

"Banned from Heaven, wrapped in chains and no one can hear me," Marley said, feeling as though he had hit rock bottom. "Can this get any worse?" "Bob quickly looked out the door and began rattling the papers, making a loud racket. Then the old clark bent slightly, grunted, and broke wind. Marley began crying. It wasn't the act itself that caused the tears, or that Bob's buttocks were directly in Jacobs face at the time; it was that Marley couldn't smell it. It was just one more reminder that he was dead, that he was a ghost, and that he was damned. Something changed in Marley then. His anger fled and only sorrow was left in its place. He could hear a scraping noise as his chains began to slither back and forth. Marley could feel an incredible pull to move on and to wander the world alone and unseen.

"Oh please, Lord, please forgive me," he begged, "for I didn't know what I was doing." Marley's head sagged as he silently prayed. Somewhere deep inside his soul, Jacob could sense that Heaven's light was still searching for him. For one brief instant, he felt that there might still be a chance for his own salvation.

"Please, Lord," he repeated, "I will do anything you ask." Suddenly, the door to his office blew open, causing so much light to stream in that Marley new it was the answer to his prayer. He flew out of his office and into the main room of the counting house, where he saw Ebenezer's nephew Fred brushing snow from his shoulders and dusting off his hat.

"How can this man be the answer to my prayer?" Marley thought to himself, "I don't even know him very well." Fred was making his yearly rounds trying to convince his uncle to attend his Christmas party. At first it all seemed so normal, but quickly it became clear that there was something very odd happening behind this young man. Marley was confused and wasn't sure what he was looking at. It was a bright white light floating just above Fred's head. He stared into the glowing orb wondering what it was and why it seemed to be the answer to his earlier prayer.

"Don't you understand, Uncle? It isn't about the money I spend on the party. It's about the joy and happiness it brings my guests." As Fred tried to convince his uncle that Christmas was worth celebrating, Marley had a change of heart. In previous years he had looked upon this man's argument on Christmas, as foolish and for the weak, but now he saw that it was in fact Scrooge who was the fool. Jacob was still staring at the light hovering behind Scrooge's nephew as Fred made his way to the door of the shop. He had given up and was heading home. As he prepared to leave, he stopped at Bob's tank and said "Merry Christmas."

"A very Merry Christmas to you too, Sir," said Bob, thrilled with the attention. Jacob found himself watching this young man, whose kindness and charity he had overlooked while he was alive. Fred spoke as kindly with the humble clark as some men would speak to the richest man in London.

"I'm sorry for your loss, Bob, truly I am," said Fred. "And I am so sorry that I won't be able to make it to the funeral tonight." At the mention of the word funeral, Marley's interest was piqued. He hadn't even thought about his funeral: of course he wanted to go. Marley watched as Fred said goodbye to Bob and began to leave. Suddenly, Marley saw the glowing form behind Fred. It called to him although he didn't hear any words. He simply knew he was meant to follow Scrooge's nephew. Somehow this young man and the mysterious light floating behind him were the key to his salvation. Marley was torn. On one hand he wished to follow the light, but his ego got the better of him and he decided to follow Bob instead.

"A man can't be blamed for wanting to attend his own funeral," said Marley, trying to convince himself. "It's only natural." Jacob felt he was making the right decision, but as Fred left, he started to worry that had made a mistake. Jacob would soon come to regret his fateful decision and it would haunt him for years to come. Eventually Bob's time was up and he put on his hat and scarf. Marley knew that they would all be closing up the shop soon, and heading over to the church. As Bob left, however, Jacob was surprised to see that Scrooge didn't move.

"Aren't you coming?" he asked his old friend Ebenezer. Bob shuffled through the door and out into the falling snow. Marley was heartbroken as he left the shop. After all he had done for Ebenezer, and now his closest friend had forgotten him in death. Jacob quickly caught up with Cratchet and began following him to the church. Marley had always hated the snow, but now that he could no longer feel its biting cold, he found the falling crystal flakes extraordinarily beautiful.

"Thank you, Bob," Marley said, showing his gratitude, "I never dreamed you would care so much about my passing. I am sorry for what I said about you earlier. You always were a dear fellow, and even more importantly, a good friend." As the clark and the ghost entered the church, Marley noticed the large number of mourners pouring in. He couldn't believe that so many people had come to see him. Bob walked down the center aisle and met up with his entire family. Marley was almost moved to tears. This man was so thoughtful that he had brought his whole family. Jacob could see the coffin lying open, but it was so dark in the church he couldn't see his body. When the service started Marley watched a young priest give his eulogy. After only a few minutes, Marley was confused.

"This man doesn't know anything about me," Marley thought, "He is getting it all wrong." Jacob stayed toward the back of the crowd, not sure what he thought, of his own memorial. Up front he could see an old ghost also dressed in robes giving the younger priest some advice.

"Keep your chin up, don't slouch," said the dead priest, "You're doing great. Remember it's all about presentation." Marley was beginning to regret his choice to attend his funeral and wished he had followed Fred instead. He decided, after growing bored with the eulogy, that he wanted to see himself. Jacob started toward the coffin but was distracted by a greyish blur flying above him in the rafters of the church. It was some kind of ghost bird. He stared up at it and finally recognized it as a large vulture that was circling above the corpse, looking for an easy meal.

"Well that thing is truly terrifying," said Marley, easing his way down the aisle, feeling completely distracted by the large dead bird of prey soaring overhead. Jacob's timing couldn't have been worse. He was about halfway to the coffin when the service ended and people began filing into the aisle in order to see the body. The first person to step into him was large woman. The moment he felt her arm pass through his body, he doubled over and screamed. He quickly learned that the energy of the living was so much slower than the dead, that it caused him physical pain to be touched by them.

"Dear God," Marley thought, trying to avoid the teaming crowd. The aisle was now jammed with mourners. He thought about flying above them, but the undead creature soaring through the rafters made him change his mind. He ducked to avoid a tall man and found he had better luck staying low to the floor. He swam beneath a sea of legs like a fish darting left and right. Occasionally someone would step on him, sending a searing, stabbing pain straight through him, but he was doing better down below. Soon he had wriggled his way up to and underneath the coffin. After watching the heard of people stumbling toward him he decided the safest place was in the coffin itself. He floated up and into his old body. It felt strange though. It was so cold, dead and lifeless. He stared out into the faces of the mourners, so grateful he no longer had to avoid their feet.

"I will miss you, Sir," said a woman Jacob didn't recognize. She moved on and old man and his daughter took her place. One thing Marley hadn't expected was the joy he felt actually having people looking at him and speaking directly to him again. The man spoke of all of the fishing trips they had shared. Marley was extremely confused; he had never been fishing a day in his life. Then the little girl spoke.

"Goodbye, Mr. Cratchet." Marley was bewildered; as he looked down and noticed that the body he was lying in had long white curly whiskers.

"This isn't my funeral!" Jacob sobbed, overwhelmed with sadness, "It's for Bob's father." Cratchet hadn't come here for him; he hadn't brought his family to see him; none of these people who were crowding into the old church cared for him at all. Marley had never felt quite so alone as he did surrounded by all of those people. Jacob instantly had a vision of his own funeral. It was as cheap as old Scrooge could make it, and consisted mainly of Ebenezer looking into the plain pine box and conforming that he was in fact Jacob Marley.

"You couldn't even give me a proper funeral, Ebenezer," Jacob lamented, lifting his head up out of the dead body. "Did my death mean so little to you?" Marley's melancholy might have gotten the best of him if it hadn't been for the terrible high pitched screech that suddenly echoed above him. Jacob looked up to see the vulture diving straight for him. Apparently it didn't like that his head was sticking up out of its food and mistook him for a rival. Marley forced his body sideways and rolled out the front of the coffin just as the large bird hit with the force of train. The vulture shot into the coffin and straight through it, landing somewhere in the basement of the church.

"Oh, for the love of humanity!" Jacob yelled, as he once again began swimming beneath the river of people. He tried to avoid the shuffling feet, but his mind was racing about how foolish he had been to think that anyone would mourn for him. He was growing angrier as he gave in to the grief. When a portly gentleman stepped directly into his head, Marley was incensed. He rose up and painfully forced his way through the last few people.

"To the devil with all of you!" he screamed when he reached the safety of the back few rows. Marley continued his retreat and found himself in a very dark part of the church. A sense of dread filled Jacob as he hovered near the pews under the balcony. He couldn't see anyone setting there but sensed danger lurking nearby. His anger boiled down into fear when he discovered he was not alone.

"Are you lost?" said a strange voice.

"Is someone there?" he asked nervously. A deep low voice answered him from the darkness.

"You seem like a soul in destress." Marley asked why he couldn't see the man.

"Most ghosts can't see each other," the other ghost said. "Why are you so angry?" The pain Marley had been feeling since his death came spilling out in great detail. The other spirit listened quietly. He told the ghost how he had been to the pearly gates and had been rejected by God. He also explained how he had been told by a strange voice to follow a man, but he had chosen to attend what he thought was his own funeral instead.

"The world has made a fool of me," Marley said in despair. "Only a few days ago I walked proudly amongst the richest men in London. They all looked up to me. But now I am lower than a penniless beggar." The voice spoke again.

"Perhaps," the ghostly voice said, "they only looked up to your money." Marley was taken aback. He tried to argue with the invisible specter, but Jacob knew in his heart that he was right.

"By the looks of those chains, it would appear that you've made a fool of yourself," the ghost said, laughing at Marley. I am sure that with your selfishness and greed you have earned each and every one." Marley was offended.

"How dare you?" he cried," You don't even know me!" The ghost laughed again.

"Don't I?" he said, mockingly, "My son certainly knew you." Marley tried to figure out who the spirit's son could have been. Then he heard the voice again.

"My son's starving family knows you as well!" the ghost yelled, growing angrier. "How could you not see that your only clark was suffering, trying to raise a family under the burden of the impoverished wages you payed him each week." Marley understood immediately.

"You're Cratchet's father! This is your funeral." The voice exploded on poor Marley.

"You come to my funeral asking for sympathy after the life you have led!" The ghost seemed to be moving toward Jacob. "Get out of here and never come back! A wretched creature like you doesn't belong in such a holy place as this." Jacob turned and tried to leave, but he felt a tug that pulled him backward. The ghost had grabbed ahold of one of his chains and was pulling on it. Marley vaulted forward with all of the strength he could muster but it was no use, the ghost was just too strong.

"Wait," said the spirit, "I'm not quite finished with you yet." Jacob was frantic as he decided to do something crazy. He tried to focus on his energy. It was vibrating at such a high frequency that he was invisible and could pass through solid objects. He began trying to slow it down. He calmed himself. He slowed his mind down so much that his energy slowed as well. He knew his plan had worked when he heard the other ghost scream as the slow energy from his chain had burned his hand. Mr. Cratchet dropped the chain and Marley launched toward the front of the church. He rose above the heads of the crowd. He was no longer afraid of the vulture, which sat perched atop of the corpse, fending off the unsuspecting mourners with an ear-piercing squawk. Marley finally floated back down directly in front of the confessionals. He slipped inside to hide from the horrible specter that was now haunting his thoughts. Marley thought he would be alone, but the young priest was in there with him. Jacob didn't give him much thought until he spoke.

"Is someone there?" he asked nervously," Please speak so that I can absolve your sins." Marley said nothing. It wouldn't have mattered anyway.

"Go on," said the priest, "I can see you in there. Hello...what is it you want from me?" Marley was astonished.

"He can see me," Marley whispered. Apparently slowing his energy down did make him more visible to the living. Marley remained in the safety of the confessional until his chains began anxiously moving around at his feet. Eventually the pull was so strong that he was forced to follow after them. He had no Idea where they were taking him, but as they pulled him into the darkness of the night sky, he knew his long lonely travels had just begun.


	2. The Party

It just so happened that six years to the day, Marley once again found himself in that very same confessional, in that very same church. He was listening to the priest, who had aged quite a bit over the last six years, taking confession. Marley thought of that first night, so long ago, when he had cowered in the confessional booth hiding from Cratchet's father. So much had happened since. Jacob had wandered the earth alone and unable to speak to anyone. It was a terribly lonely existence which he had endured, and it had almost completely numbed his emotions. He lived mostly in judgement now, seeing sin and misery everywhere he went. In his wandering, Marley had been to the jungles of Africa, he had climbed to the top of the tallest mountains, and he had even followed a long river in the south that the locals had called the Amazon. Everywhere he went he would try to reach out, but no one ever heard him or even knew he was there. The worst part for Jacob was that when he arrived somewhere pleasant with kind people, he was never allowed to stay more than one night. His chains would begin pulling him away and the wanderlust would begin all over again. The one true blessing was that he would be compelled home every year on the anniversary of his death. This is why he found himself in the same confessional in the heart of London on Christmas Eve.

"I knew you were no good, Stephen Childers," Marley, said condemning an old man confessing his sins, "I knew you would end up cheating on that lovely bride of yours." Jacob enjoyed sitting in the confessional, listening to secrets and sins of the parishioners, until the Christmas Mass would begin. He had been doing this for the past five Christmases. It made him feel better to know that he wasn't the only bad person on earth. Marley was stunned when a very poor man came in and instead of asking for something, he kept telling the priest how grateful he was to God for giving him so much. Marley truly didn't understand. The man was penniless; he had nothing. Several people confessed that day and Marley heard them all.

"You had better be careful, Owen Hawthorn," warned Marley, "if you don't mend your ways you're going to end up like me, and then you will be sorry. You will be sorry indeed." Marley trailed off, feeling sad and downtrodden. His spirits were lifted, however, by the sound of the bells. The Mass would be starting soon and he didn't want to miss it. He hoped attending the Christmas Mass would help him figure out how to free himself from the chains of guilt. Marley scurried up to the balcony where he would usually watch the mass. This year was a bit different from the previous ones. He had decided to attend the early mass this year, because had heard it was less crowded than the later service.

He was excited to see that the two back rows were empty and was thrilled with his decision. That all changed just a few minutes later, when a large family finished climbing the stairs and began squeezing into the empty seats. Jacob glared at the children sliding into the pew and moving all the way down to the end where he was sitting. Just before being sat upon, he angrily rose into the air, clearly frustrated.

"This is no better than the later service," he complained as he floated up and over each and every one of the family members, now filling both of the back rows. Marley didn't want to sit in the rafters, where he went when the pews were too crowded, but it seemed he might not have a choice. He did feel a little hope, though, when he noticed that the very back row still had some room. Jacob took his seat and was starting to calm down as the Mass began.

"This way, Grandma," said a voice rising to the top of the stairs. Jacob turned and saw a young boy walking a very elderly lady up into the balcony.

"Oh, thank you, young man," she said preparing to sit in Marley's lap. He sprang up one more time to avoid the pain of coming in contact with the living. The boy slipped past her and sat down. Marley was furious; there was now only a tiny sliver for him in which to sit. He floated down, holding his arms in close to his torso. Jacob usually liked to rest on a solid surface - somehow he didn't sink through, and it helped to take some of the weight from the heavy ghostly chains. The Mass went on and the music began to play. Jacob kept trying to relax, but constantly keeping his arms so close to his body was growing tiresome. He looked over and noticed that the old woman was taking up more than one space. Marley tried to ignore this, but her rudeness bothered him and he decided to scare her into moving. He slowed his mind, and his energy slowed as well. He could feel his arms and legs growing more solid.

"Move!" he demanded, staring straight at the old woman, "Move!" She didn't notice him at first but when she did her reaction was an epic one.

"Oh, dear God in heaven," the old woman screamed, "It's a Christmas Miracle! I just saw my dead husband. It's a miracle, a sign from Heaven!" The woman had yelled so loudly that even the priest far below paused the Mass for a few seconds, waiting for the commotion to calm down. The woman stopped yelling, but her excitement didn't diminish in the slightest. She kept whispering and crying about her dead husband coming to visit her on Christmas Eve. Marley was aghast.

"I am not your dead husband, woman!" he said, sounding a little offended, "clearly you have made a mistake." The woman would not stop talking to her relatives about her Christmas Miracle, so Marley rose in defeat and headed off to one of the rafters, close to the roof of the old church. Once he had perched atop one of the large beams, he was beginning to feel a little better. His energy was still drained from what he called his Celestial Slowdown. He had been practicing the slowing of his energy over the years with animals he would meet on his travels. He very rarely used it on humans, but today was a special: it was Christmas Eve and his death day. He saw something moving above him and started whistling. Instantly, the large grey vulture landed on the beam next to him.

"Who's a good boy?" he said, scratching its large head, "Sorry, Silver, no meat for you today. This is no funeral; this is the Christmas Eve Mass." Marley watched as father Emmerson talked about charity, hope, and faith but Jacob's mind drifted. He thought about the old ghost priest whom he had met the night he died. His name was Father Dickens and he had left the earth and ascended to heaven two years earlier after the last Christmas Eve Mass. Marley had been there and was still moved by it. While the living were busy listening to music, Father Dickens had given his last sermon. He talked about feeling comfortable with Father Emerson's progress and he felt confident he was leaving his parishioners in good hands. Then he said goodbye, began glowing very brightly, and floated up and out of the church. Now Marley sat on that same beam where he had watched the old priest's ascension. Marley and vulture, which he called Silver, watched the rest of the Mass in silence. Jacob couldn't keep his mind from wandering, but when the priest started talking about the upcoming New Year, Marley heard something that made him sit up and take notice.

"This is the year you have been waiting for!" exclaimed Father Emerson. "This is the year of your salvation." Somehow Marley knew the message was for him. When the service came to an end Jacob grew very excited.

"It's time for my favorite part of the mass, Silver," he said, anxiously slipping off of the beam and descending quickly down beside the collection plate. Jacob loved watching the shillings and farthings piling up, in the golden plate. Of course Marley couldn't help but comment on how much each person was giving and who was giving more than the others.

"Two shillings less this year, eh, Williamson?" Marley smirked. "Seems like your shop didn't do so well this year. Please try to do better next year, my good man; it is rather embarrassing for a man of your stature." Marley continued mocking anyone he felt should have given more. When all of the tithes had been collected, Jacob followed Father Emerson to his office safe, where he placed the coins inside. Marley wanted so much to touch one of the shiny round coins, but his chains began pulling him out of the office and out of the church. Marley followed the heavy task masters to the hospital. The insistent chains had been taking him there for the last few years, and he still wasn't sure why. When he arrived, he roamed the halls looking into one room after another of the sick and dying.

"That cough doesn't sound good," he told an elderly gentleman in one of the rooms he passed. "Be careful - it was a similar cough that did me in." Marley was trying to help in his own way, but something didn't feel quite right about that place and he couldn't wait to leave. He did see two other ghosts down in the chapel but Marely had already been to Mass so he didn't stay. He continued floating down the hall.

"Oh, Mrs. Greentree," he said to an elderly woman with cast on her leg, "it appears you've fallen and broken your hip. That is really not good, an injury like that might be the end of you as well. Someone of your advanced years needs to be more careful." He roamed the hospital for another hour until he began to feel the familiar wanderlust building inside of him. He knew that soon the chains would be dragging him back out of London and around the lonely globe until the following Christmas Eve. The thought of another year of wandering filled him with dread, so when the chains began pulling him he began praying quietly to himself.

"Please, Lord, help me to change myself into a better man, "Jacob pleaded, "so that I may escape this horrible fate of wandering the world empty and alone." Marley knew better than to fight when he was pulled out of the hospital and onto the street, but to his surprise he found himself being pulled in the direction of his old counting house. He wasn't sure why this was happening. He had already been to the counting house earlier that morning. His routine had been the same over the last few years. He would go to the counting house in the morning, the hospital in the afternoon and then to the late Mass. He had switched things up a bit this time but he had never returned to the counting house before. Scrooge and Cratchet were just where he had left them, several hours before.

"You know, with the entire world out there to see," Marley said, "it is an awful waste to spend your entire day in this dingy old office." Marley wasn't sure why he had returned, so he went to his old office and sat down in his desk chair. Dusty ledgers, papers, and books were stacked up on top of his desk. The room had become a storage closet. It contained boxes of cleaning supplies, old discarded office materials, and a few broken chairs that Scrooge had refused to throw out. Marley had learned over the last six years that ghosts don't sleep but they do sort of drift off and doze. This is what Jacob was doing after only a few minutes. It had been a very eventful day for Marley and he was tired. He awoke with a start several minutes later when the door to his office blew open and the office filled with light. It reminded Jacob of the night he died, when Scrooge's nephew had come in filling the office with Christmas cheer.

"Could this be the reason I am here?" he wondered. Marley raced out front and was delighted to once again see Scrooge's nephew Fred. Bob was telling him that Scrooge had just stepped out of the office for some last- minute business and was not coming back that evening.

"He even gave me the key to lock up," Bob was saying. Fred looked very disappointed. Marley wasn't paying any attention to the two men. He was focused on the light still hovering behind the well-dressed young man. Over the last six years Marley had completely forgotten about the glowing orb that had beckoned him to follow Fred on the night of his death.

"Well, Bob," Fred said, smiling, "it wasn't a complete waste of a trip after all! I did get to wish you a Merry Christmas!" Cratchet was blushing and Thanked Fred over and over again.

"Besides," Fred continued, "it just gives me more motivation to try even harder next year." Marley continued staring at the light behind the young man, when he saw something he hadn't noticed before. As he looked closer, he began to see the outline of a woman's face. Once again, he could hear a very faint, female voice asking him follow and this time he obeyed. He followed Fred and the shiny orb to a carriage a few blocks away. The more he focused on the light the more it slowly transformed into a female ghost with long blond hair. Then he trailed behind the carriage, all the way out to Fred's beautiful estate. When they arrived the female ghost followed Fred inside, but Marley was hesitant and found that he was too frightened to go in with them. He was still very tired and began drifting back into ghost sleep as the night wore on. He wasn't aware of much going on around him but he was aware of one thing. His chains were not dragging him away and for this he was grateful. He was still dozing when the sun rose on Christmas morning. He awoke to the sound of a woman's voice.

"Merry Christmas, Jacob." To Marley's astonishment he had not been pulled away and he was still outside of Fred's house several hours later, when his party guests began arriving. Jacob was trying to build up the courage to go inside of the large house, but he was worried.

"The living don't want a ghost at their Christmas party." Marley had almost convinced himself to give up and let the chains drag him away when he saw another carriage pull up. The passengers were a young man and a beautiful young woman. Stepping out behind them to Marley's great surprise was a young male ghost.

"Well, if I am not going to be the only ghost at the party," he said, "I guess I could put in an appearance." Jacob followed the trio into the house and into a large open room where many of the guests were already assembled. He searched the party for the ghost with the blond hair, but he didn't see her anywhere. She was no longer following Fred, who was entertaining a few guests over by the fireplace. He did see a different female ghost, but she was much older was wrapped in chains and following a young lady in a vibrant red dress. He watched her trying to make contact with the young woman.

"Please, Anne," the old ghost begged, "I need you to hear me." After a while the comely female ghost gave up trying to communicate. She reached for a transparent violin, and began playing quietly off in a corner by herself. Since none of the living could hear her music, Marley realized that she was playing a symphony that only he could hear. He almost introduced himself, to the attractive female ghost, but she was so deep into the melancholy concerto that it made him think better of it. Eventually he grew bored and introduced himself to the young male ghost. The young man told Jacob, his name was Clayton, he had died of cholera, and that he refused to leave the earth before he had experienced some of the life he would miss out on.

"You see," Clayton said, standing between two living men, "I am going to live as much as I can while I still have the chance." He moved over and placed his head inside the head of the man to his left. He positioned his mouth in the same spot as the other man's, and as the living gentleman drank from his glass of alcohol the ghost seemed to be drinking it as well. He popped right back out and continued talking.

"I'm going to taste as much as I can and," he quickly moved over towards the man on his right, "feel as much as I can." He put his head inside that man's as well, as the gentleman took a rather large puff off of his cigar. Clayton popped back out and kept on telling Jacob all about his compelling afterlife.

"Yes, my fine fellow," Clayton went on, "I am going to do it all." Marley laughed at the silly young ghost. Clayton explained that since his death earlier in the year, he had been following the young couple he had arrived at the party with, who were called Topper and Edith. He told Jacob that they were truly in love with each other and that following them around had given him a great deal of joy.

"A love like theirs," the boy said starting to sound kind of tipsy, "shines so brightly, that I would bet they will be married for many, many years." Marley realized that the boy was not bound to the earth by his guilt but by his desires. He was growing tired of the boy's tomfoolery, when he finally noticed the golden haired ghost he had been searching for. He excused himself from Clayton, who was quite content at the moment, staring at a young woman's ample bosom. Marley was saddened when, after making contact with the ghost, she didn't seem to be able to see or hear him. She acted as If he wasn't there at all. After a while he gave up trying to communicate to the female ghost. He made his way to a darkened sitting room just off of the main room. It was nice to get a break from Clayton but he didn't really want to spend his last night in London alone in a dark room.

"Why am I here?" he asked looking up toward Heaven. "I hate this party! There are no answers here. First she tells me to follow her, and then when I get here, she doesn't even see me." Marley had reached the doorway to the darkened room, but before he entered, he heard laughter and looked over to see several guests gathered around Fred, who had them all in stitches. Then he caught sight of young Clayton. The young ghost was lying on the ground looking up women's skirts as they walked over him. This ridiculous sight actually made Marley chuckle a bit.

"Oh Clayton," he said, his voice sounding very fatigued, "you have so much to learn, but I envy your will to live." Marley pushed into the sitting room and sat down. As he listened to the sounds of the party in the next room he felt even more alone. Somewhere inside of him, though, he sensed that Heaven still had a plan for him and that he needed to have faith. When he entered the room he assumed he was alone, but something moved off to his left, knocking over a basket. Knitting needles and yarn spilled out and onto the floor.

"Who's there?" he asked. There was no answer. He didn't move. He sat there in silence, waiting in the darkness. Then it moved again. This time he could clearly see it was a cat and it seemed frightened by him. Marley's terrible frustration poured out onto the scared little animal. He decided to scare the cat out of the room.

"Oh yeah," he said taunting it, "you haven't seen anything yet." Then he calmed his mind and slowed his energy way down, lower than he had ever gone before. The pain was intense, but it was nothing compared to the loneliness he had been feeling. The cat must have seen him because it shot out of the room, causing a terrible commotion out in the party next door.

"Jasper!" he heard Fred yell toward the fleeing feline, "what's gotten into you?" Fred immediately came in and lit a lamp in the room. He searched the small sitting area but couldn't see Marley, whose energy had returned to normal. Fred was turning to leave when Jacob saw someone staring into the room. It was the blonde ghost and she was looking right at him.

"Ah ha!" he proclaimed," I finally got your attention." She tried to speak to him but Marley couldn't hear a word she said. After only a few minutes he gave up trying, fell back onto the couch, and drifted into ghost sleep one more time. The female ghost left, but she hadn't given up and was working on a way to communicate with the sleeping specter. Several hours passed and as the night wore on several drunken guests full of good cheer were making their way out to their carriages.

"Fred, you've outdone yourself this year." said one guest, "A very Merry Christmas to you and your lovely wife." Most of the guests had already departed when Marley began to rise from his slumber. He was only aware that it was extremely late and that he had slept through most of the party.

"Just another wasted opportunity," he thought. Maybe there was no hope for him after all. At that moment he began to hear a distant voice coming from the main room. He listened as it called out. "Hello, you in the sitting room," it said, "will you please come in here and talk me." Marley couldn't believe what he was hearing. The voice seemed to be calling out to him. He could tell it was a man's voice, but how could anyone know he was in there? He studied the voice, unsure of its source. He knew it wasn't Clayton's voice but it did seem very familiar.

"Hello," it called to him again, "it's imperative that I speak with you." An intense curiosity drove Marley out into the main room. He noticed someone was sitting in a chair by the fire.

"Over here," said the drunken voice. Marley finally recognized it. It was Fred's. He was so drunk that he had nearly passed out in the chair. Jacob moved around it and saw that the blonde ghost was sitting next to him. She was whispering in his ear and he was repeating everything, she was saying.

"Listen to me," she said through the drunken man, "I have a plan that might save your old friend and partner Ebenezer Scrooge." Marley was confused.

"Why would you want to help Ebenezer?" The lady leaned down and whispered again.

"I am a guardian angel trying to help him," Fred slurred, "I have been using his nephew to convince him to change his life, but so far he has resisted. With your help, though, I think we could reach him, and alter his fate." The ghost told Marley that her name was Elisabeth. She also said that she knew Jacob felt guilty about leading Ebenezer down the wrong path and that if he helped her, it would relieve some of his guilt. Marley agreed.

"I'll do whatever I can," Jacob said. "It's the least I can do for him." Marley listened patiently while she explained her plan to him. It involved several other ghosts and something called a time scepter. She explained it would all take place the following Christmas when Marley would be back in London.

"How are we going to work together if I can't even hear you," Marley said concerned, "We can't always depend on a drunken man being nearby." She smiled at Marley and spoke gently thought Fred.

"You must first forgive yourself, if you are ever going to hear me." Marley was tearing up as he begged her to tell him how to do it.

"Know that you have changed," Fred mumbled. "You are not the man you once were. From now on, you must devote all of your effort towards helping others and in the end, you will help yourself. I want you to know that I have complete faith in..." Fred trailed off and passed out. Marley stared at the silent ghost who looked back at him with eyes that spoke of forgiveness. Jacob summoned all of his courage, he thought of all of the good he could do, if he could just communicate with others.

"I forgive myself!" he screamed. "I forgive myself! I was such a fool, arrogant and vain, greedy and selfish. I don't ever want to be that man again. Please, Lord, help me find forgiveness." Marley's head sagged and he wept. Suddenly he heard a different voice. This one was female and sounded very pleased with him.

"You did it!" said Elisabeth, "You broke through." This time Jacob could hear her perfectly. The two ghosts discussed the plan in much greater detail now that they could communicate directly to each other. The plan was very intricate and it was clear she had been working on it for some time. The hour had become very late and the fire was dying as they talked about how she had hoped he would be at the counting house this year. He told her that he had usually been at the late Mass when Fred would come to invite Ebenezer to Christmas each year, but this year something had changed his mind.

"You were finally ready," she said, smiling, "and now we can get to work saving your friend." Fred let out a snore and shook slightly. He was waking up again.

"It's getting late," she said, jostling Fred. "Time for the party to be over and for everyone to go home." Marley looked around but didn't see anyone else. Elisabeth leaned down and whispered once more into the drunken man's ear.

"Okay, party's over!" Fred yelled. "Time for everyone to go home!" Marley looked at her strangely until he heard a closet door burst open and two people came spilling out. It was the young couple, Topper and Edith. They were very drunk and trying to hurriedly re-button themselves.

"Thank you for a lovely party!" Topper shouted trying to sound sober. "We had a wonderful time." As he said this Edith began giggling. Then Marley noticed someone else floating out of closet. It was young Clayton. Apparently he had been in there with them the whole time. He had a blissful smile on his face and he also seemed quite drunk.

"Yes," Clayton said wistfully. "Thank you for a lovely party." Then he too went out the door and was gone. Marley laughed at the young ghost. He was pretty sure Clayton had experienced much at Fred's party. When Marley left the house that night he felt different about everything. The minute he had stepped outside into the falling snow, his chains began pulling him off into the dark night to wander the world for another long year. He wasn't the least bit sad though, for now he had a plan and a purpose.


	3. The Business Meeting

When Marley chains brought him back to London the following Christmas Eve, he could hardly believe it had been a full year. The time had flown and he had barely noticed its passing. He had been so busy that he hadn't even noticed the changing of the seasons, or that he had circled the globe and was returning home. He had spent the time practicing what he called his Celestial Slow Down, mostly on animals, but a few humans had caught sight of the temporarily visible ghost over the last year. He was able to slow his energy to much lower levels now, and for much longer periods of time, than he had ever been able to do before. Marley knew he was ready: he felt confident and terribly excited. He had been practicing for this very night the whole year long. He was feeling as jolly as a schoolboy as he entered the great city that morning.

"Could it really be Christmas Eve already?" Jacob said, smiling. As usual, the chains brought him first to the counting house, where he just darted about, bubbling over with nervous energy like a bride awaiting the start of her nuptials. He stayed for a few hours, but every time he looked at his old partner, slumped over his desk, stacking his coins into little piles, he felt pity for his friend. All he could think about was that Scrooge had no idea that this would be the most important night of his life. Soon the wanderlust took hold and Jacob was moving again. It was truly a dismal day, foggy and grey, but to Marley the sun was shining and it felt like the brightest day of spring. He entered the church with a smile on his face and soon found his old resting spot inside the confessional. He wasn't the same Marley he had been in previous years, his demeanor and empathy had changed significantly. He was kinder and more thoughtful than before.

"Oh, Mrs. Stevens," Marley said compassionately, "you must not blame yourself, stealing one piece of fruit because you are starving is not a real sin. This is a cruel world for those of you who do not have enough means to support your families. You must try to forgive yourself." Marley was like that with all who came to confess. It was as if truly forgiving himself the year before had changed his soul. He was still bound by the chains of guilt, but his heart had melted and he felt a great deal lighter. When the bells sounded announcing the beginning of the Mass, he raced to the balcony, trying to find a seat. When he arrived, however, he was dismayed to find that the balcony was already completely full. The large family he had met the year before was already there in their seats and smiling. Again their large numbers had taken up all but a few spaces, and the back rows were alive with a great deal of Christmas cheer.

"Oh, there you are, my fine fellow," Marley said, moving aside and allowing the young man to help his grandmother into the pew. She was struggling much more than she had the year before. Time had not been kind to her and her body seemed to be failing. Marley was actually worried about the poor, tired old woman. He sat next to her, making sure to keep his arms in close, as he listened to the Mass. As the Mass got under way, Marley began to hear a low murmur from the woman sitting next to him.

"Please, John," she wheezed, "it would mean the world if you could just show yourself to me, one more time." Marley sighed. He knew that this woman was struggling and was hoping for one more Christmas Miracle. Marley would have slowed down and shown her his face, but he had to save his one and only slow down for later that night. He had to save it for Scrooge. Still, the old woman persisted and eventually broke Marley's will. He decided he could probably slow down a little bit and it wouldn't be a problem. So he focused his mind and reduced his energy. Then he leaned over and whispered into the widow's ear.

"Merry Christmas," he said pretending to be her husband, "I am always with you." The woman immediately sat up straight and began shaking. She quietly thanked him repeatedly, and wept. Marley felt good as he turned back toward the Mass. He was trying to pay attention, but excitement was drawing his mind away from the priest. He rehearsed his part of the plan over in his head and prayed that he would be able to deliver his deadly warning to his old friend without making a mistake. Marley's mind was drifting when he noticed another of his friends sitting all alone. And since no one should be alone on Christmas Eve, he left his comfortable pew and swiftly floated up to the large beam at the top of the church.

"Merry Christmas, Silver," he said, stroking the feathers of the large vulture. "Have you missed me my young fellow?" Marley and his feathered friend watched the Mass as Father Emerson was finishing up.

"And so as you celebrate your good fortune," he preached, "don't forget those less fortunate than you. Amen."

"Amen." Jacob repeated. Then he slipped off of the beam and floated down toward the collection plate. The strangest thing happened to the old business man as he descended. For the first time in his life he found he had no interest in money. He decided instead of watching the coins piling up as usual, he would head off to the hospital, where he might actually be able to do some good before his big night. He pushed through the doorway and out of the church. He was moving rather quickly and didn't notice that he was being followed. He traveled on but soon began to sense something was behind, something to fear. He looked back and saw a black hearse being pulled by an angry dead horse. He wasn't sure if the horse was actually following him or heading to the hospital to pick up one of the recently deceased. The silent, skeletal driver, whose hands were bound to the reins, didn't pay him any mind, but the horse seemed to hate him.

"What's your problem?" he asked the angry animal. "What did I do to you?" The horse just huffed at him and drew even closer. Marley started moving faster but the irritated horse sped up as well. Jacob was confused but then he thought of his earlier slow down. Marley had learned during his travels that certain animals enjoyed seeing him when he reduced his energy, but other animals were incensed by it. He had learned this first hand when he had slowed down for a large moose somewhere up north. The animal had become enraged during the process and had continued charging after him, until he was forced to raise his energy and scale a large tree to avoid its fury.

"You're just like that moose," Marley said, racing toward the door of the hospital. Jacob quickly slipped inside and started making his usual rounds down the long hallways. After about an hour Jacob stumbled into the room of a woman he had known when he was alive. She was close to death and calling out for help.

"Margaret," he said moving his hand through the dying woman's hair, "it's me your old friend, Jacob Marley." She responded to his voice and opened her eyes. Marley was surprised that she could actually see him. He assumed it was because she was so close to death. Jacob kept stroking the woman's hair and holding her hand.

"It's okay, Margaret," he said in a soothing voice. "It is okay to let go. I see no invisible chains on you. Soon you will rise up out of this place and into a magnificent brilliance where peace and contentment abound. It is a glorious place where joy collides with bliss in a field of fresh flowers and flowing brooks. Margaret told Jacob she was trying to last long enough in order to see Christmas Morning. He promised her he would be there to see her off, knowing full well that the decision to stay or go was no longer his to make. The moment he thought about the wanderlust, his chains started tugging at him like a restless toddler. He followed them cautiously, trying to stay calm as his confrontation with Scrooge drew nearer. He arrived at the counting house as the sun was setting. He fluttered from room to room, anxiously awaiting Fred, Scrooge's nephew and Elisabeth, Scrooge's guardian angel. The time dragged on and Marley was losing his battle with nervousness.

"Where are they?" he said to no one in particular. An agonizing forty-five minutes later, Fred burst through the door, bellowing Christmas cheer.

"A Merry Christmas, Uncle!" he cried in joyful voice. "God save you!" Scrooge wasn't interested in what his nephew had to say but listened to his invitation anyway. Marley saw Elisabeth and was relieved.

"Have you been practicing?" she asked him. "Tonight is the night. The time has come." Marley explained that he was much better at his Celestial Speed Up.

"The only problem is," he explained, "we only get one chance at this." He told her that once he slowed his energy, his message would have to be delivered immediately. He couldn't hold that level of energy very long, and if he lost his focus for even a few seconds the slowdown would fail and he wouldn't be able to repeat the process for several days.

"Okay," she said positively. "We have got to get it right the first time." Elisabeth pulled a shiny golden device out of a bag she had attached to her belt. It looked like a large woman's hair brush; it had handle and a round clock on the other end.

"It's called a time scepter;" she said, in awe of the device. "Without this, none of this would be possible." Jacob stared the golden scepter and wondered what it did. Over on the other side of the office, Fred was still trying to convince his uncle to attend his Christmas party.

"And therefore, Uncle, though it has never put a scrap of gold or silver in my pocket, I believe it that it has done me good, and I say, 'God bless it'." Bob was so moved by Fred's plea that he clapped. Jacob knew that to be a mistake, and was proven correct when Scrooge threatened Cratchet's situation. Fred eventually gave up and decided to leave. Marley was so happy that Elisabeth would be staying with him rather than leaving with Fred. He was going to need her help with his message. When Scrooge's nephew departed he passed two well-dressed men heading into the counting house. They were collecting for the poor and destitute.

"Scrooge and Marley's, I believe," said one of the gentleman, referring to his list. "Have I the pleasure of addressing, Mr. Scrooge or Mr. Marley?" Ebenezer looked at the men suspiciously.

"Mr. Marley has been dead these seven years," Scrooge replied. "He died seven years ago, this very night." They explained that they were there collecting charity. It was hard to watch the faces of the two gentlemen as their hopes were dashed. Scrooge told them that he had no interest in giving them any money and especially for Christmas merriment. He asked them about the work houses and debtors' prisons. He said he expected those in need to go to those institutions, which he supported. The men were stunned. I don't think those men even knew that a man of so little kindness, such as Scrooge, even existed.

"Many can't go there," said the portly gentleman, "and many would rather die!" Scrooge let out a mirthless chuckle.

"If they would rather die," said Scrooge, "they had better do it, and decrease the surplus population." When the two gentlemen made their way out of the shop, Elisabeth and Jacob followed them.

"Okay," Marley said, nervously going over the plan. "So we wait for Cratchet to leave, and once Scrooge is alone I'll burst through the door and give him my warning." He wanted to deliver his message of damnation in the very office where so much greed and selfishness had been displayed by both himself and Scrooge. Elisabeth assured Jacob that he would do fine and continued reassuring him until all of the shops patrons had gone. The shop was closing as Bob climbed up from his chair. He spoke to Scrooge for a moment, then put on his hat and scarf, hustled out of the door, and trudged off into the snow. Scrooge was alone inside the old counting house and Jacob was ready.

"You can do this!" she yelled from down the street. While Elisabeth watched for passing strangers, Marley began his slow down. He calmed his mind, which was not easy to do with the gravity of the situation weighing down upon him. Then his energy dipped, The Celestial Slow Down was under way and he could feel himself growing more solid and heavy. He had reached the point, at which he would be visible to Scrooge and stepped forward, scraping his heavy chains behind him. He looked through the window at his old friend and prepared to confront him.

"Jacob!" he heard Elisabeth scream. "Watch out!" He turned to see her bearing down on him, quickly followed by a dark devil with red eyes and biting teeth. It was the same ghost horse he had seen earlier.

"Bloody Hell!" he screamed, racing away from the snarling beast. "I wouldn't have started the slowdown if I had known that mangy apparition was anywhere near here." Marley was too solid to outrun the raging stallion. Elisabeth caught up to him, and tried to drag him even faster.

"I had better speed back up!" he yelled, sounding out of breath. "Otherwise we won't make it."

"No," she insisted, dragging him into the nearest store. "As you said, we only have one chance at this, and we are not waiting for another year. Ebenezer is running out of time as it is." Marley followed her as she led him racing through a large shop that sold bed curtains, tapestries, and fine linens. Being forced to plow through shelves, boxes, and the living customers inside of the shop did slow the frantic horse down a bit. Jacob was trying to hide behind a large tapestry, but the horse seemed to be able to find him wherever he went.

"I can't shake him!" he called out to Elisabeth. "Hiding isn't working and I am too solid to outrun him. I am doomed!" He said this last part as the horse stuck its snout behind the tapestry. Marley leapt out from behind the large hanging piece of cloth and raced out toward the street. He had a large lead on the beast, but he was quickly cut down next to a large rack of hand towels. The sheer agony of those dagger-like hooves stomping over him as it trotted on caused him to cry out. He tried to push himself up once the horse had passed, but he was slammed back down by the large wooden wheels of the hearse. He rolled over onto his back. He was hurting so badly that all he wanted was to give up and allow his energy to rise. He was starting to consider letting go, but then he thought of his old friend Scrooge. It was his very soul that was at stake, so Jacob decided to fight through the pain.

"Watch, it's coming back!" he heard Elisabeth scream. "Jacob, move!" Marley looked up to see the crazed horse just a few feet from running over him yet again. He watched the charging horse as he desperately struggled to move out of the way. Realizing that he wasn't going to make it, he gave up and braced himself. Within seconds of impact, he felt Elisabeth grab his arm and drag him free.

"Listen," she said, as the hearse circled around to make one more pass, "I will distract that thing; you go to Ebenezer's house. You'll have to warn him there." Exactly as promised, Elisabeth drew the horse's attention and led it off on a merry chase through the streets of London. Marley was in pain as he shuffled toward Scrooge's home. The streets were bustling with Christmas excitement and Jacob knew he would be visible to onlookers. So he skulked down several side streets until he arrived at Ebenezer's giant door. He waited for Elisabeth in the entry hall, praying she had found a way to elude the hearse and its demonic horse and make her way back to him. To his enormous relief, she slipped inside just moments, before Scrooge was supposed to arrive.

"Oh, thank God," Jacob, said relieved, "I was so worried about you." Marley was growing weary, but he was still hopeful. He reminded Elisabeth that he had also lived there with Ebenezer, before his own death. Talking about old times in his former home, Marley's mind wandered to a memory that caused him a great deal of sadness. It had taken place in the very room where they now sat, waiting for Scrooge. Ebenezer had just told him he was going to be married soon and Jacob hadn't taken the news well at all.

"If you are so foolish, as to marry that... gold digger," he had said, feeling jealous, "you just might be too foolish, to keep working for me." This brought a tear to Marley's eye, for he knew Ebenezer had called off his engagement shortly after their conversation. He was drawn out of his memories by the sound of Elisabeth's voice.

"He is coming," she said. "Get ready." Marley bounced up off of the bench he had been setting on and headed toward the door. He was still a bit foggy and wasn't counting on the resistance from his heavy chains. He stumbled forward onto his knees and his head crushed into the door and through it. He looked out at the falling snow and saw a frightened Ebenezer staring directly at him. His head had fallen out of the giant doorknocker and was just inches away from Scrooge's key, which he held frozen in the lock of the large wooden door. He wanted to say so much but he didn't have a chance to say anything. Suddenly, he found himself being pulled back through the door by Elisabeth. When Scrooge entered, Marley moved out of the way and hid behind the door. He felt like he had screwed up again. Scrooge seemed frightened as he started climbing the stairs toward his bedroom.

"Okay," Jacob whispered to himself, trying to raise his confidence, "I am ready to do this." He started climbing the stairs, following after Scrooge. He had to lift the chains, one step at a time, which was not an easy task at all. On top of all that, he wasn't feeling very stable and knew that the journey ahead would be long and tedious. He had climbed only two steps when he saw something horrifying that paralyzed him. He didn't even dare to breathe. His mind went blank and he was trembling so fiercely that his chains were rattling with the movement. The dark devil was back, his nostrils flaring, his teeth grinding. He stood at the top of the stairwell, his blood red eyes staring down at Marley as if to say, "I found you."

"Oh no," Jacob sighed. "What now?" The crazed horse shot past Scrooge and down the stairs. It was on top of Marley in seconds. It reared up, let out a terrible screech, and pummeled him with it hooves. Jacob fell and was impaled repeatedly as the cloven hooves rained down on him. Marley tried to pull himself up, but the thunderous stomping was crushing him down into the stairs. He was losing focus and losing his resolve. He hoped it would all come to an end soon, but it never did. The enraged demon didn't stop until Marley finally gave in, admitted defeat, and raised his energy. Instantly, the pain was gone as he fell through the stairs and into the wine cellar below. Marley was heartbroken when he landed. He had failed and Scrooge would end up paying the price for his weakness. He was in tears when Elisabeth finally pulled him from the rubble.

"I couldn't help myself," he said, sounding defeated. "The horse wouldn't stop. I had no choice." Marley knew all hope was gone. The slowdown had stopped and they had missed their only opportunity. Jacob had given up and was heading into despair. But Elisabeth would not be dissuaded so easily.

"You can do it," she said staring, into Jacob's eyes. "I know you can."

"Do what?" Marely asked. "What are you talking about? " She was talking about the slowdown, but Jacob knew it was no use. He tried to remind Elisabeth that he had never been able to restart a second slowdown so soon after the first.

"Just because you have never done something before," she reminded him, "doesn't mean you can't do it." Jacob watched, mystified, as she began lowering her own energy. It wasn't much, but it was noticeable. Marley was caught unaware when she took hold of him and hugged him. Suddenly, every bell in the house started ringing all at once. Jacob felt his energy sinking and he was growing heavy as she began dragging him down with her.

"Oh, thank God," he said, returning back to his visible energy level. "It's working!" Marley had solidified and was soon on his way up the two flights of stairs leading to Scrooge's bed room. Jacob was visible again, but he had no idea how long it would last. His legs ached but he welcomed the pain; it meant there was still hope for success, and he wasn't about to squander his second chance. It was an eternity of climbing until he reached the top floor at last. Had he been transparent, it would have been over in seconds, but he had finally dragged his solid, heavy, and visible body up to where it might be of some use. He burst through the door of Scrooge's bedroom and rattled his chains. "Finally," he thought, "a chance to speak." Scrooge looked terrified as he inspected the ghost.

"How now!" snarled Scrooge, "What do you want with me?" Jacob felt clumsy and stupid. His movements were so much slower, and each wave of an arm or bend of a knee pained him.

"Much!" was all that Marley was able to say. His mouth was wrapped so tightly with linen that he could barely part his lips. He realized it was the first word he had actually spoken this deep into a slowdown.

"Who are you?" Ebenezer said, stammering.

"Ask me who I was." As Jacob listened to his own words, they sounded hollow and distant.

"Who were you then?" Scrooge said raising his voice.

"In life I was your partner, Jacob Marley," Marley said, as if he were slowly remembering the old name himself. Scrooge asked Marley to sit. Jacob eased over and lowered himself down onto a chair. His head was pounding, his limbs ached, and his chest kept tightening, making it extremely difficult to even take a breath. Marley struggled to focus as he spent the next few minutes trying to convince Scrooge he was real.

"You don't believe in me," observed the weary old ghost.

"I don't," said Scrooge.

"What evidence would you have of my reality, beyond that of your senses?" Marley was growing increasingly frustrated. None of this would work if Ebenezer wouldn't believe.

"I don't know," said Scrooge.

"Why do you doubt your own senses?" Marley said angrily. He was thinking about how much effort it was taking for him to remain in his visible state. Ebenezer kept accusing him of being a hallucination brought on by some sort of food poisoning.

"Humbug, I tell you-Humbug!" Marley's pain was increasing and his bones ached. He didn't have time to banter with Ebenezer. Even though it took a great deal of his strength and was extremely painful, Marley rattled his chains and began screaming. He had given it his whole voice, but his scream was muffled and he was becoming frustrated with the bandage around his head. He carefully unwrapped the cloth, and to his embarrassment his jaw fell slightly on to his chest. Scrooge crumpled to his knees and began begging for mercy.

"Man of the worldly mind!" replied the ghost, "Do you believe in me or not!" Scrooge finally relented and admitted he did.

"Why do you come to me?" He asked. Marley explained that because he had not traveled in life, that he was condemned to do so in death. He could feel himself shaking. He wasn't sure how much longer he could maintain the level of energy he needed to be seen.

"It is required of every man that the spirit within him should walk abroad among his fellow men, and travel far and wide. And if that spirit goes not forth in life, it is condemned to do so after death," Jacob said thinking of his lonely journey across the Earth. "It is doomed to wander through the world, Oh, woe is me! And witness what it cannot share, but might have shared on earth, and turned to happiness!" Marley was so overcome with emotion as he spoke of being helpless to assist others that he began shaking his chains even harder than before. In an attempt to pull Jacob free from his horrible fit, Scrooge asked about his chains and Marley responded.

"I wear the chains I forged in life," he said to Scrooge, trying to explain how he had created the metal cables out of his own guilt.

"Is its pattern strange to you?" Jacob asked. Ebenezer was trembling as Marley told him about his chain, which was now much longer and heavier than his own. Marley was starting to feel dizzy as he focused on the giant invisible chain which coiled around Scrooge like a hungry snake. Ebenezer looked around at the floor but couldn't see it.

"Speak comfort to me, Jacob." Scrooge implored.

"I have none to give." Marley said. He was growing increasingly more depressed as he told his old friend that he was forced to spend his years wandering the earth, never allowed to stay in one place for long to rest or find peace.

"Seven years dead," asked Scrooge, "and traveling all the time?"

"The whole time," Marley said. "No rest, no peace. Incessant torture of remorse." Jacob was losing control over his emotions and was dipping into even lower energy levels. When Scrooge asked if he had traveled very far, Jacob lost it completely. From deep within himself, Marley could hear his own voice lamenting over his horrible predicament. He could hear his chains rattling and he felt his arms shake. Trying to calm his old partner, Scrooge changed the subject.

"But you were always a good man of business." Marley looked down to notice that he was now ringing his hands. Scrooge was trying to console his old friend but it was actually making him even angrier.

"Business. Mankind was my business," his voice rising as he continued to speak. The specter went on in grave despair.

"The common welfare was my business: charity, mercy, forbearance, and benevolence were all my business." Marley's transparent body was clenching up into a ball. He was inconsolable, as regret continued spilling out of him. Jacob could tell that Scrooge was very upset to hear what he was saying. And as Marley words echoed throughout the tiny bed chamber, his mind began to drift. He was starting to worry about failing his mission, when suddenly a light entered the room.

"Jacob, time is running short," said Elisabeth. Marley stared up at her, looking exhausted. He was losing his grip on his energy. He calmed himself and refocused on his message.

"Hear me! My time is nearly gone," he said, repeating the lady's warning. He had to speak slowly, but he was finally able to explain to Scrooge why he had come.

"I am here to-night to warn you. That you have yet a chance and hope of escaping my fate."

"You were always a good friend to me," Scrooge said. "Thank ye."

Marley continued "You will be haunted by three spirits." Scrooge looked deflated as Jacob said this. Ebenezer tried to argue, but it was no use. Marley was quite clear about that. It was the only way to avoid his fate. He explained to Scrooge that they would come in succession, the first at one, the second at two, and third in his own time.

"That's it," Marley thought, breathing a sigh of relief. He was happy to be finished giving his message to Scrooge and was starting to relax. He hoped it would make a difference.

"Remember what has passed between us." he said. Then Marely re-wrapped his jaw and backed up, as Elizabeth slowly lifted the window behind him. When he reached it, he showed Scrooge all of the lost souls wandering outside in the darkness. He was happy. He had successfully delivered his warning to Scrooge, but he was growing concerned with own welfare. His energy was dropping and he couldn't stop it. His mind was slipping and his thoughts were growing dark. Then Marley joined the lonely cry of the dead dancing out in the snow, and he slowly floated out into the night. The last thing Marley heard was Elisabeth's voice.

"Jacob," she said sounding distressed. "Wait, come back." It was called the Dance of the Dead and Jacob had gotten drawn into its diseased circle. These were spirits whose energy was even lower than the living. They would never be seen by the mortals who walked the earth. Marley and the other ghosts revolved around each other in a large swirling ring. He was no longer propelling himself, but had been caught up in a tidal wave of guilt- ridden motion. He could hear the other ghosts' dark thoughts of abandonment and heartache. He learned that he was not alone in his misery. Jacob's mind swam with so many painfully sad thoughts that he was succumbing to the dangerous darkness of the dance. He felt lost and had trouble remembering who he was and what he had been doing. Marley had almost given up on ever escaping the terrifying circle of sadness, but again a familiar voice brought him back out of his depression.

"Jacob," Elisabeth called, "it's me. I am here for you." Marley didn't remember who she was, but she was glowing and spoke so kindly that he reached out for her. It was a feeble attempt though, for the dance was far too powerful to allow him to escape quite so easily. His mind faded and he lost sight of the beautiful blonde ghost. Jacob was trying to find her, but she was no longer inside of the circle. Suddenly, Marley felt his chains pulling him outward toward freedom. The metal cables tugged at him with a force so powerful that he was finally yanked free of the whirlpool of ghosts.

"What is happening?" Jacob asked completely bewildered. "Where am I?" He was upset and disoriented at first, but quickly came back to his senses as he spent more time away from the toxic dance. He was no longer depressed and was starting to smile, as Elisabeth informed him that his mission had been a success. She helped Jacob back to Scrooge's home and into his old room. She heaved him onto the bed, which Ebenezer had never bothered to have removed. He was feeling a lot better as Elisabeth nursed him back to health.

"So who are these three ghosts that will be visiting Ebenezer?" Marley asked. "Anyone I know?" Her features took on a sheepish grin.

"You're looking at the first, right now." Marley laughed and sat up straighter in the dusty old bed.

"You?" he asked, wondering why she had not mentioned this before. "You're the first spirit?"

"Yes," Elisabeth replied. "I will have to alter my appearance a bit, but it shouldn't be a problem."

"I will be there to help you if you need me," Jacob said confidently. "I know how hard it is to be visible." They waited for the clock to chime. When it did, Elisabeth began changing her look until she was almost unrecognizable. Her arms and legs grew more muscular until she took on the body of a man. Her transparent hair was lit up by a bright light coming out of the top of her head. She almost looked like a child, but with the snow white hair of an old man. Her face was still her own, however. That part of her had not changed. Marley followed her towards Scrooge's bedroom as she prepared to make her entrance. Marley wasn't sure about whether any of this would actually help his old friend, but he was glad they were trying anyway. After all he thought,

"Anything is better than damnation."


	4. The Present Future

The ancient grandfather clock in the dark hallway boldly chimed one o'clock, but Scrooge would not get out of bed. This angered Elisabeth, who was suffering under the influence of her own energy slow down. She looked a bit shaky, so Marley tried to reassure her as she had done for him. After angrily waiting for nearly an hour, the determined ghost lost her patience with Scrooge's lethargy and lifted the golden device she was carrying. She switched the hand on the clock, of the Time Scepter back one hour. The grandfather clock chimed one o'clock once again, but Scrooge wouldn't budge. Elisabeth was now a mother trying to force a sleepy child out of bed as she reached over and ripped open his curtain. Scrooge took one look at her and shivered beneath his blanket. He studied this new apparition intently and didn't quite know what to make of her. Jacob couldn't blame him though; she was obviously struggling to hold her shape, periodically switching forms and then back again. When Scrooge finally spoke, it was clear he had mistaken her for an old man or maybe even a child. He stared with keen interest at the large candle extinguisher the ghost used for a cap, which she now held under her arm.

"Are you the Spirit, Sir, whose coming was foretold to me? "asked Scrooge.

"I am!" Her voice was soft and gentle, but still quite low. Marley noticed that she had hidden the Time Scepter behind her large cap.

"Who and what are you?" Scrooge demanded.

"I am the Ghost of Christmas Past," she said, slowly pronouncing each word with precision.

"Long past?" Scrooge asked, still staring at this new ghost.

"No. Your past, "she said. When Scrooge asked her why she had come, she explained to him that it was for his welfare. Then she reached out her hand to him, asking him to follow. Marley could see that her fingers on her other hand were poised on the Time Scepter.

"Rise and walk with me," she beckoned. Ebenezer eventually obliged Elisabeth's request and took her hand. She led Scrooge through the wall and back through time. Marley tried to follow, but he was still recovering from his slowdown and was lagging behind. He pushed through the wall and found that he was standing in a large field on the grounds of Scrooge's old school. He looked over to find Elisabeth talking to Scrooge; they were pointing at something. Marley turned and saw a horse-drawn wagon coming straight for him! He instinctively dove out of the way as the large coach ambled past. He could hear Elisabeth laughing at him, despite herself. Marley watched Ebenezer hopping up and down as he named off all of the boys in the wagon. He seemed so happy that it even made Jacob smile and that was saying a lot, because he still felt rather terrible. He was incredibly weak and exhausted from his earlier visit with Ebenezer.

"The School is not quite deserted," he heard Elisabeth say to Scrooge. "A solitary child, neglected by his friends, is left there still." Marley tried to rest and catch his breath, but soon they were going inside. So he fought off the fatigue and trudged off with the others to a lonely little room in the back of the school. When Ebenezer saw his younger self sitting alone, reading a book, abandoned by the others, he broke down and wept. Marley was surprised to see his old friend brought to tears, but what really shocked him was seeing Elisabeth crying as well. She was trying to hide her tears as she hovered over to the boy and began stoking his hair.

"She must be succumbing to the slow down," he deduced. Jacob was still trying to catch his breath and remembered how emotional he had been in that tenuous state of solidity. Scrooge was happier now as he began ranting about all of the fictional characters that had kept him company back then. Ebenezer was smiling and bouncing around with such vigor that Marley was stunned. He realized he had never seen Scrooge smile before.

"Let us see another Christmas!" she said. The boy aged and the room fell apart; it became darker and dirtier. The panels shrunk, the windows cracked, and fragments of plaster fell out of the ceiling. The younger Scrooge, although older than he had appeared in the first vision, looked pensive as he paced about, worrying. Suddenly a young girl ran into the room, full of energy and beaming with happiness.

"Fran," said Elisabeth tenderly.

"I've come to take you home, dear brother!" Marley was watching Fran at first, but eventually it was Elisabeth who drew his attention. He noticed something about the way she looked at young Ebenezer and Fran that piqued his curiosity. Elisabeth was becoming so emotional that Marley wondered how long she could maintain control over her feelings.

"Home, for good and all. Home, forever and ever. Father is so much kinder then he used to be, that home is like heaven!" Marley wasn't sure why, but as Fran told the young Ebenezer about how much kinder their father was, Elisabeth was visibly shaken. She didn't lose her focus though; she calmed down, and forced herself to continue. Fran pulled her older brother out the door of his old school and coaxed him into a carriage.

"Always a delicate creature, whom a breath might have withered," said Elisabeth, staring at Fran. "But she had a large heart!" Scrooge agreed with her.

"She died a woman," said Elisabeth, "and had, as I think, children."

"One child," Scrooge returned absently, as he watched the carriage pull away.

"True," said the ghost. "Your nephew." As they talked about Fran's son Fred, Marley remembered how close Elisabeth was to him now, following Fred everywhere he went. This set Jacob's mind to wondering. Who was this blonde-haired ghost, and why was she so attached to this particular family? This curiosity intensified; as the carriage slowly drove away and Scrooge began to follow after it, like a lost dog.

"Oh Fran," Elisabeth whispered, almost weeping." Please tell your father, how sorry I am." Old Scrooge had wandered off and was far enough way that he hadn't heard her pitiful request, but Marley certainly had. Jacob couldn't contain his curiosity any longer and confronted the young female ghost

"Who are you, really?" Jacob asked. She looked very forlorn and quietly admitted who she was.

"In life I was Elizabeth Scrooge," she said, sighing, "Ebenezer's Mother!" Marley was stunned; he had never suspected. He stared at Elisabeth, utterly aghast and feeling disoriented.

"Wwww.......ow," he stammered. Suddenly, everything made more sense, and Marley was amazed he hadn't noticed her resemblance to Scrooge. After all, he did look quite a bit like her. This new information explained why she was helping Ebenezer: he was her son. This was why she followed and was able to speak through Fred: he was her Grandson. So many thoughts burst through Jacob's mind that his head was swimming. Marley needed a few moments to rest up his energy and process all that he had learned about his female accomplice. Elisabeth understood his need for rest and told him that he could meet up with them again at Fezziwig's Party. Marley had no idea what she was talking about, but she told him not to worry, she would take care of everything. Elisabeth caught up to old Scrooge who had followed the distant carriage halfway down the lane and disappeared. Immediately, Marley was transported somewhere else. He found himself on a bench that sat across the street from a warehouse with the name of Fezziwig's, written on a sign, out front. Jacob thought about Scrooge's mother. He had heard she had died in childbirth having Ebeneezer. She must have felt guilty, leaving her devastated husband and children to fend for themselves. Marley was still putting all of the pieces together by the time Scrooge and his mother showed up. He was feeling much better and ready to help Elisabeth again. They entered the warehouse together and the instant he was inside, Scrooge lit up like a Christmas tree with candles on every branch.

"Why, it's old Fezziwig! Bless his heart," Scrooge said, his voice rising. "It's Fezziwig alive again. The portly man put down his pen, looked up at the clock, and adjusted his waistcoat.

"Yo ho, there! Ebeneezer! Dick!" Scrooge saw his former self and his fellow apprentice come running in the large room. They looked excited as Fezziwig began giving them instructions. Scrooge was giddy with the memory of his old friends.

"Dick Wilkins, to be sure!" announced Scrooge. "Bless me, yes, there he is." Marley had never seen Scrooge so happy.

"Yo ho, my boys!" said Fezziwig. "No more work tonight. It's Christmas Eve." The two young men cleared away the signs of business and prepared the old warehouse for a lively party. As guests filed in Marley was drawn up into the celebration and was beginning to feel lifted by Christmas spirit, as was Scrooge. Jacob enjoyed the festivities and especially enjoyed the jovial old Fezziwig. Marley sat in an empty chair as Elisabeth continued taking Scrooge down memory lane. The fiddle music was lifting Jacob's spirit, but the party really came to life as the very spry Fezziwigs came out to the dance floor. Mr. and Mrs. Fezziwig captured the attention of everyone at the party as they moved about the room. Hands half round and back again the other way, down the middle and up again, round and round the old couple went. They danced with such vigor that the whole party erupted in applause at the completion of the dance. Soon the party came to an end and it was time to move on. Marley noticed Elisabeth was looking tired and offered to control the Time Scepter.

"All of the mechanisms have already been set inside of it," she said, handing the scepter to Jacob. "You just need to move the clock hand forward or backward. Marley examined the compact golden object and wondered where it had come from, and how Elisabeth had come into possession of such an ethereal object. While Scrooge and his mother discussed Fezziwig's charity, Jacob was thinking about how much she must have loved her son to do so much for him from beyond the grave. The Scepter chimed and Marley knew it was time to go. He warned Elisabeth she was running late, just as she had done for him.

"My time is running short," she said. Marley knew that he was supposed to turn the clock, but he was reluctant because of the memory; he somehow knew was coming next. He wasn't sure he was quite ready to face that particular memory; he wasn't sure he was quite ready to face her! Elisabeth, growing impatient, turned to Marley and told him to change the clock.

"Quick," she said, staring right at him. He did as he was told and the scene changed, propelling Jacob face to face with the lovely young woman he had been afraid to see. A young Ebenezer, although not nearly as young as he had looked in the previous scenes, sat on a bench next to her. Her eyes were full of tears as she spoke.

"It matters little," she said, softly. "To you very little. Another idol has displaced me, and if it can cheer and comfort you in time to come, as I would have tried to do I have no just cause to grieve."

"What idol has displaced you?" he rejoined. Her eyes were like daggers as she turned to the foolish young man.

"A golden one," she said weeping. She continued telling Ebenezer that his obsession with money had caused him to fall out of love with her, but Marley new the truth. Jacob sat next to the young woman and began his confession.

"You're wrong, my beautiful Belle," Marley said wistfully. "It was my fault." Elisabeth, the only one who could actually see or hear Marley, was staring at him, confused as to what he had meant.

"I was the one who talked Ebenezer out of marrying you," Jacob said regretfully. "I told him you were after his money. I told him he would be a fool to marry you." As Marley poured his heart out, he felt like he was back in the confessional in the church. Elisabeth still didn't understand why Jacob was saying all of this.

"I told him it was because you weren't worthy of him. The truth is.......I did it because I was in love with you, too!" Marley broke down and wept so hard that Elisabeth felt sorry for him. She put her hand on his shoulder.

"I release you," Belle said to the young Ebenezer, "I hope you are happy with the life you have chosen." Elisabeth subtly took the Scepter back from Jacob. She announced there was one last visit they had to make. She touched the scepter and they were whisked away to the young woman's home several years later. She was awaiting the arrival of her husband, with her children. Elisabeth noticed that Jacob and Ebenezer had the same look of regret on their faces. Soon the woman's husband arrived, sending the house into turmoil. Everyone was overjoyed to see him, giving him a very warm welcome indeed. He told them all that he had seen Scrooge sitting alone at his desk. Marley could only stare at Ebenezer with sorrow. Scrooge looked so lost, as if he finally understood the terrible mistake he had made. Jacob realized that he had cost Scrooge this life with Belle, which might have been his.

"Spirit," said Scrooge in a broken voice, "remove me from this place. She tried to tell him he had caused these events.

"Remove me!" Scrooge demanded. "I cannot bear it." He turned on Elisabeth and began struggling with her. Marley was worried about her but the blonde ghost proved to be much stronger than he had imagined.

"Leave me! Take me back. Haunt me no longer!" Scrooge pulled the cap from her hand and placed it on her head. He was trying to douse the light pouring from the crown of her head. Marley begged Ebenezer to stop.

"Please forgive me, Ebenezer," he pleaded, trying to help lift the large cap, off of Elisabeth. "I didn't know that you loved her as much as you did." Scrooge continued pushing the cap down over her eyes until she gave up. Marley new she had released her energy, which was quickly rising again. Scrooge's hands fell through her and he landed on the floor of his bedroom, strangling one of his bedposts. Marley was so distraught that he hadn't even noticed the transition taking place, but once again they were back in Scrooge's old house. Elisabeth was a little shaken but smiling. She had shown Scrooge the forgotten joys of his past and now it was up to another ghost to help her son. Jacob, on the hand, was not doing very well at all.

"I'm so sorry," Marley sobbed, unable to make eye contact with Elisabeth, "I ruined his life." He began weeping even harder than before. Elisabeth took pity on Jacob, and hugged him trying to quell the guilt he was feeling.

"I forgive you, and I am sure Ebenezer would as well." Marley was grateful to her, but knew he was to blame for so much of Scrooge's misery. He paused his tears long enough to face Elisabeth and started to speak, but was quickly interrupted.

"So who is this second gho......" The grandfather chimed in the hallway; it was two o'clock and time for the second ghost. Ebenezer sat perched on his bed, shaking as he awaited his next visitor. After a short delay Scrooge did in fact climb out of bed and stumbled out into the hallway. He was tracing the path of a mysterious light, which was streaming under the door to the next room. The instant Ebenezer touched the door handle, a very familiar voice called out Scrooge's name and bade him to come in. Elisabeth took Marley's trembling hand and led him into the brilliantly lit room ahead of Scrooge, who was still a little hesitant. Jacob's tear-filled eyes saw lush greenery all about the place. There was a roaring fire in the hearth and crisp leaves of holly, mistletoe, and ivy lining the walls of the large room. A huge man with curly brown hair and beard sat at the top of the heaping mountain of food. He wore a long green robe trimmed with white fur and wore a holy wreath around his head. The edible throne upon which he sat consisted of turkey, geese, game, brawn, great joints of meat, long wreaths of sausages, mince-pies, plum puddings, red hot chestnuts, cherry-cheeked apples, juicy oranges, luscious pears, and immense twelfth-cakes. The room and the man seemed to represent all of the joyful aspects that Christmas had to offer.

"Come in," exclaimed the ghost. "Come in, and know me better man!" Scrooge entered timidly, and hung his head. Marley was still sobbing as he heard the Spirit introduce himself.

"I am the Ghost of Christmas Present. Look upon me." Jacob looked up at the man but didn't recognize his face. His voice, however, was extremely familiar. Marley studied the giant ghost, who held a large torch and whose feet were bare.

"You have never seen the like of me before!" exclaimed the Spirit.

"Never," said Scrooge, not quite as fearful as he had been with the first ghost. Jacob's own guilt and sorrow were overwhelming him, but he hoped that this new ghost would be able to convince his only friend that he had been missing out on the joys of life.

"You have never walked forth with my elder brothers born in these later years?" pursued the Phantom who was climbing down from the pile of turkeys and puddings.

"I don't think I have," said Scrooge. "I am afraid I have not. Have you had many brothers, spirit?"

"More than eighteen hundred "said the ghost. Jacob managed a smile. Whoever he was, the specter was portraying himself as the spiritual representative of the present Christmas.

"A tremendous family to provide for," muttered Scrooge. Marley was not surprised that Ebenezer would look at having a large family strictly in terms of money.

"Spirit, "said Scrooge submissively, "conduct me where you will. I went forth earlier on compulsion, and I learnt a lesson which is working now. Tonight if you have aught to teach me, let me profit by it." The Ghost of Christmas Present moved closer.

"Touch my robe!" said the spirit. Scrooge did as he was told and disappeared. In a flash everything was gone, the fire, the food, and the holly. He and Elisabeth were all that remained in large, empty and dark room. Marley turned to her.

"Aren't we going with them?" Marley asked, still sniffling.

"No, You have done all that I've asked of you and more," she said beaming with gratitude. "You have helped me try to save my son and I will be eternally grateful." She hugged him tightly and sighed.

"I know how hard it is for you to resist the urge to move on," she said, patting the Time Scepter. "I can handle it from here. This night has already drained you and I would free you of this burden." She wiped away a tear from his cheek and smiled.

"You must forgive yourself," she said gently. "You might have given Ebenezer some bad advice, but each man makes his own decisions in life. If he had felt more for the young girl, he would have argued against your opinion." Then she hugged Marley one more time, said "Merry Christmas," and disappeared. Jacob slumped to the floor, as the dam holding his emotions in check suddenly collapsed and he began wailing. He was a howling banshee, his chest heaving to the sounds of his pitiful sobs. He must have hovered there weeping for nearly a quarter of an hour, before his tears eventually subsided and he began thinking more clearly.

"What now?" he wondered. It had all happened so quickly that Marley wasn't sure what to do with himself. One moment he was terribly worried and emotional over the success of Scrooge's spiritual reclamation and the next he was completely free do whatever he pleased. At first, he was relieved that he wouldn't have to worry about Ebenezer's welfare any longer. He tried to tell himself he would be better off getting back to his old ways. However, the moment his chains began rattling and the wanderlust took hold of him once again, he was crippled with despair. He felt overwhelmed with sadness yet again, as he remembered how lonely he was before Elisabeth had come to him with her plan of redemption. In that moment, Jacob realized that he wanted nothing more than to see that plan through.

"Oh, please Lord, perhaps if you would permit me, I could stay a bit longer," begged Marley. "Maybe there is still need for my assistance and I should be grateful for the chance, to help my friend, in any way I can." Someone must have had heard him, for his chains ceased their agitation and fell silent.

"Oh thank you, Lord!" he yelled loudly. "Thank you from the bottom of my heart." As he realized he was being allowed to continue helping Scrooge, a wide smile adorned his face. Unfortunately, it faded just as quickly as it had appeared, when he remembered that he had no idea where the others had gone. His hands shook as the fear of being left behind consumed him. He tried to imagine where they went and decided to try the church. It seemed as good a place as any to begin his search. He arrived shortly after the Midnight Mass had concluded. He searched for the trio in every nook and corner of the great old church, but it was to no avail. Marley was crushed when he couldn't find them anywhere. He was beginning to give up hope and drift away in despair, but he fought against the overwhelming sadness. He looked up toward the roof of the church.

"No, please don't leave me to wander the earth alone and unseen," he pleaded. "I know I was a wicked, selfish tyrant but I have changed. Please help me to find my friend Ebenezer and his mother." He was still begging for help when he felt something tugging on one of his chains. He turned to see Silver pulling on it, in an attempt to get his attention. He smiled at the vulture, brushing his feathers, but Jacob's mind was racing. When Silver had pulled on his chains, dragging him backward, it had reminded him of the night of his death. The same night, he had been choked by that horrible demon ghost. He thought of that terrible voice cackling, as he struggled to break free. Suddenly, he stopped petting the bird, as the answer popped into his head.

"Silver," Marley said, as a smile returned to his face. "I think I know where they went. I knew that ghost's voice sounded familiar." He quickly understood why he hadn't recognized the man's face - he had never seen it before! Marley Laughed. The Ghost of Christmas Present was none other than Bob Cratchet's father. Marley said goodbye to Silver and began heading off in the direction of Bob Cratchet's house.

"Oh, thank God," Marley said as he saw Elisabeth, Scrooge, and the Ghost, all watching the Cratchets preparing for Christmas dinner. He had found the other ghosts and he wouldn't be letting any of them out of his sight any time soon. Elisabeth was happy to see him and secretly glad he had returned. Marley discovered that he had arrived just as Bob and his son Tiny Tim had returned home from church.

"And how did our little Tim behave?" asked Mrs. Cratchet.

"As good as gold," Bob said, "and better. Somehow he gets thoughtful sitting by himself so much, and thinks the strangest things you ever heard. He told me coming home that he hoped the people saw him in the church, because he was a cripple, and it might be pleasant to them to remember upon Christmas Day who made lame beggars walk and blind men see." Jacob watched the face of the ghost as he stared at the small boy with the pride of a grandfather. It did Jacob good to see the happy little family celebrating Christmas as if they were the richest people in London. The small goose was like a banquet to this sweet family who dearly loved and cherished each other. When the pudding was brought into the room for Bob to sample there was great anticipation, but it was a huge success and all were cheerful.

"A Merry Christmas to us all, my dears," Bob exclaimed. "God bless us!" The entire family echoed back.

"God bless us every one!" said Tim. Scrooge was moved by the small boy's sentiments.

"Spirit," said Scrooge with an interest he had never felt before, "tell me if tiny Tim will live."

"I see a vacant spot," said the ghost angrily, "in the poor chimney corner, and a crutch without an owner, carefully preserved. If these shadows remain un-altered by the future, the child will die." Scrooge looked devastated and began pleading with the ghost. Grandfather Cratchet was angry and his voice thundered throughout the tiny house.

"What then?" mocked the ghost. "If he be like to die, he had better do it, and decrease the surplus population?" Scrooge was overcome with penitence and grief, when he heard his own words quoted back to him, by the spirit. Marley watched Scrooge being berated by the ghost and was feeling guilty, for he had started Scrooge off on this greedy path and perhaps he deserved some of the admonishment as well. Then Bob made a toast that shocked everyone in the room both the living and the dead.

"To Mr. Scrooge," said Bob toasting his boss, "the founder of the feast." Bob's wife was angry at him, but his father was clearly moved. Marley could see the pride in the specter's eyes as he smiled at his son. After a bit of coaxing even Mrs. Cratchet joined in and toasted Scrooge. Afterward they all settled by the fire and told stories. Elisabeth signaled to the larger ghost that their time was running out, but the spirit was having trouble leaving his family and continuing on with the journey. The Ghost of Christmas Present had a small tear in his eye as he watched the Cratchets talking to each in tender voices. When the chime rang out from the Time Scepter the ghost had no choice but to move on. Marley followed the others as they travelled all over the countryside. He even trailed after them as they hovered above the sea to visit an old light house. Then they crossed the water again to visit a small boat where Christmas was being celebrated by the rich and the poor alike. Eventually Elisabeth felt that they had traveled enough. She turned the clock once more and they are all whisked away to familiar place. It was Scrooge's nephew Fred's Christmas party. Fred was entertaining a few of his guests with the tale of his failed invitation to his uncle.

"He said that Christmas was a hum-bug as I live!" Fred laughed. "He believed it too." The party was as festive as Marley had remembered it being the year before.

"More shame for him, Fred!" his young wife chimed in.

"He's a comical old fellow," said Scrooge's nephew. "That's the truth, and not so pleasant as he might be. However, his offences carry their own punishment and I have nothing to say against him." As Fred continued to entertain his guest with the antics of his uncle, Marley noticed young Clayton, the young ghost he had met the previous year. He also saw the comely older ghost, who had played the violin. She still hovered around the same young woman, although this year she wore a purple dress instead of the red one she had worn before. After Fred finished his story, he called for music and everyone began to sing. Marley, not one for singing, decided to strike up a conversation with the lovely older ghost. The music was lifting the spirits of everyone in the room, including the attractive female specter. Jacob watched her foot taping on the ground and one of her hands keeping the beat against her leg.

"Merry Christmas," he said cordially, "My name is Jacob, and I would be pleased to make your acquaintance." She was not in the best of countenances and reluctantly told him her name was Katherine. Marley tried to cheer the woman, who was quite aloof and seemed bitter, just as he had once been.

"It is so incredibly frustrating," Marley began, looking at the young lady in the purple dress, "trying to speak to someone who doesn't even know you are there." This seemed to melt the woman's icy demeanor. The music stopped as the guests started playing games, and Jacob was talking to his new friend Katherine about his "Celestial Slowdown." He was explaining how to do it when he noticed something above Katherine's head. He looked up to see Young Clayton quietly lowering himself down from the ceiling. He was completely upside down and moving very slowly. Inch by inch he moved closer toward the lips of the young woman in the purple dress. He was attempting to kiss the young lady, who had no idea she was about to be face to face with the industrious young ghost. Marley wasn't trying to help the Clayton with his conquest, but to keep from causing a scene, he tried to distract Katherine from the boy's antics. Marley's distracting conversation would have been sufficient if Clayton hadn't made a rather loud kissing noise while he was perpetrating the act. Marley laughed despite himself as Katherine whirled around and, having caught the young scoundrel in the act, began assaulting him. She ripped him down by his cravat, and started whipping him with her chains.

"What is it you think you're doing," she scolded. "You evil little man." She was still whipping the boy when Marley took pity on the poor devil and pulled her away from him. Jacob told her that he knew the boy and would deal with the thirteen-year-old menace. Marley took Clayton to the sitting room, where he had sat alone a year earlier. They passed Scrooge and the ghost, who were both watching a heated game of blind man's bluff taking place in the main room. When Clayton collapsed in a heap on the sofa, Jacob could tell that the boy was not in his usual good spirits.

"Being dead is no fun at all," Clayton said, sighing. "Everything grows stale and true happiness is becoming harder to find." Marley felt for the poor boy; he too knew the loneliness of death. Clayton informed Marley that his taste for life had been spoiled when his beloved couple, whose love he had boasted would last forever, had parted company in a rather ugly and heated separation. He explained that Topper had come alone this year and had his eye on a certain young lady at the party. Clayton's point was emphasized when, at that exact moment, the blind man's bluff game spilled into the sitting room where they sat. Topper, who was blindfolded, fell over a chair just outside the door and landed inside of the small room. He was sweating and groping his way along the wall desperately trying to catch the young woman in question. It took some convincing but Marley had finally talked Clayton into considering giving up his empty pursuits on earth and going through the gates of heaven

"Young man, I assure you," Jacob said confidently, "because the small earthly pleasures you're experiencing are nothing compared to joy within that light. I know; I have been there. I have felt it." He was happy to have helped the troubled teen, but he was growing anxious to return to Katherine. However, when he stepped into the main room, he saw Elisabeth giving him the sign that they were about to move on. Fred was finishing up a toast to his uncle when the scene around them began to change. Just before he disappeared, Marley could see the attractive women across the party playing her lonely concerto and wistfully waved goodbye.

They were on a darkened street that Jacob didn't recognize. Scrooge was listening to the Ghost of Christmas Present, who seemed to be making his final warning to Scrooge. Marley wasn't sure why, but Scrooge seemed to be looking at the ghost's feet. Marley smiled at Elisabeth but she looked worried.

"We used up too much time," she said. "We won't be able to return back to Ebenezer's bedroom. He will have to meet the next ghost right here." As Marley looked back over at the ghost, he noticed that Mr. Cratchet's face was now quite old and wrinkled. He was out of time and had reverted back to his former appearance. When Scrooge turned away for just a moment, Cratchet's time was finally up. His energy rose drastically and he was no longer visible to Scrooge. Ebenezer searched around desperately for the ghost who was still standing right in front of him. Marley was anxious as Bob's father approached the two of them. The last time they had met Marley had to flee in terror. He was afraid at first, but when Bob's father approached, he was grateful.

"Thank you for helping my son," Mr. Cratchet said wearily. "We might even have done enough to save my grandson." With that Mr. Cratchet sighed and was gone. Marley saw that Scrooge was staring off at an ominous figure coming towards him in a dark black robe.

"So who is this last ghost," Marley asked Elisabeth. "Some distant cousin of Scrooge's?" She looked worried,

"No, Ebenezer needs someone much more terrifying to him than either you or I."


	5. The Redemption

Marley could feel an icy gloom emanating from the black-robed creature. The phantom slowly, gravely, silently approached Scrooge, who immediately fell to his knees. There was a foul, melancholy energy surrounding this spirit, whose dark garment covered all but his shriveled hand. Everything about this hooded ghoul reeked of pain, misery, danger and doubt. Marley was worried about his old friend, who was now just inches from its boney fingers. He tried looking into the hood of the ghost, but it was too dark and he turned away from the hideous figure, filled with dread. Scrooge was cowering in the snow; his legs were trembling, trying to support his weight.

"I am in the presence of the Ghost of Christmas Yet to Come?" Scrooge was trying to make the spirit speak to him, but the shadowy specter remained silent. Marley was terrified of the Ghost of Christmas Yet to Come, but Elisabeth wasn't afraid at all. She barked commands at it, like the grim shade was some poor dumb animal.

"Answer him!" she demanded. The ghost, however, wouldn't be pressured and refused to speak. It just silently pointed the way toward their destination. Marley wondered if the terrifying demon was even capable of speech.

"Ghost of the future," Scrooge stammered, "I fear you more than any specter I have seen." Ebenezer did seem to understand the importance of the visit and told the Ghost that he was ready.

"Lead on," said Scrooge, "Lead on! The night is waning fast and it is precious time to me, I know. Lead on, Spirit!" The ghost turned ever so slowly and led Scrooge off on his final tour of the evening. Seeing the pain in Ebenezer's eyes, when the ghost had refused to answer him, reminded Marley of the loneliness of silence. They appeared on a busy street in London. It was daytime, although no sunlight could be found anywhere within the confines of the great city. They stopped to listen to several gentlemen talking about some man's death.

"I don't know much about it, either way," said a portly fellow with a top hat, "I only know that he is dead."

"When did he die?" asked one of the men.

"Last night, I believe," said the first. The conversation was an odd one. Even though all of the men appeared to know him, none of them seemed to care much for him at all. They didn't even seem upset that he had expired, except for what he had done with his money. Marley soon deduced that they are talking about Scrooge. Their unkind and unfeeling remarks left Marley to wonder if similar conversations had taken place after his passing. He was realizing, more and more, that he had indeed wasted his life in the pursuit of money. It had been made clear to him that the true treasure of the earth was the joy of the people whose lives you had blessed with your own.

"I am sorry, Ebenezer," Marley said regretfully, "I was such a fool and I made one of you as well." The dark ghost led them all into a bleak side of city where they entered a grungy old shop. They went inside and found three less than scrupulous people, guiltily selling off the dead man's possessions.

"Every person has a right to take care of themselves," said a woman wearing a shabby black dress. "He always did." When the woman heaved her bundle up onto the counter, Marley watched several bread crumbs rise and then fall to the floor. He assumed the crumbs where from the shop keeper's dinner, which Marley suspected he had eaten in that very spot. The three wretched people continued their disgraceful business, but Jacob was growing bored. He saw something, however, that immediately grabbed his attention. It was a rat. It was not alive, mind you, but it was trying to dine on the breadcrumbs which had recently fallen into its domain. The foolish rodent, obviously unaware it was dead, kept attempting to eat the crumbs, even though its teeth passed right through them. The rat's futile attempts to gnaw on the large crumbs had drawn some unwanted attention and soon the hunt was on.

"Oh boy, that's not good, "Marley said. He had spotted another creature who was also not alive, and who Jacob believed to have caused the rodent's original demise. It was large tomcat and it was stalking its prey from a high book shelf. The dead predator paced back and forth, hungrily eyeing its target. Then it sprang into the air and landed on top of the large rat, but the feline also had trouble trying to eat its quarry. The rat went right through the transparent cat and scurried off with the furry attacker racing right behind it.

"If he wanted to keep'em after he was dead, wicked old screw," the old women snarled, "then why wasn't he natural in his lifetime? If he had been, he'd of had somebody to look after him when he was struck with Death, instead of lying gasping out his last breath there, alone by himself."

"Spirit!" said Scrooge, shuddering from head to foot, "I see, I see. The case of this unhappy man might be my own. My life tends that way, now. Merciful Heaven, what is this?" Scrooge recoiled from the scene and found himself along with all of the ghosts at the foot of the dead man's bed. Scrooge still seemed to be denying the obvious as he stared at the body lying on the cold mattress. His hands trembled and he was unable to move the blanket covering the corpse's face. 

"Stop being so foolish!" Marley yelled at Scrooge. "Clearly it's you. How can you not see that?" Jacob didn't mean to be so harsh but it had been a long night and he was exhausted and extremely frustrated. Elisabeth knew Marley was just trying to help and did her best to calm him. She reminded Jacob that her son had been through the most difficult night of his life and deserved a bit of sympathy.

"If there is any person in the town who feels emotion caused by this man's death," said Scrooge, quite agonized, "show that person to me, spirit, I beseech you." Elisabeth switched the knob on the Time Scepter and they were transported to a small flat somewhere in the city. It was a confusing scene as two strangers spoke, but soon it became clear that the only reason they cared at all was because they were in the man's debt. Ebenezer had asked for emotion and he received it. Because of this man's death, the young couple were now filled with joy that they would have more time to pay. Marley felt sorry for Scrooge; his death was just as much about business and money as his life had been.

"Let me see some tenderness connected with a death," said Scrooge, "or that dark chamber, Spirit, which we left just now, will be forever present to me." As quick as a wink they were whisked away to home of Bob Cratchet. As the family spoke in somber tones, Scrooge's face contorted, realizing that it was Tiny Tim who had passed. Mrs. Cratchet laid her needle work upon the table and put her hand up to her face.

"This color hurts my eyes!" She quickly wiped her tears and told the children that she had to be strong for Bob. Marley, who watched the grieving mother hide her sadness for the sake of her family, realized what an amazing wife Cratchet had been blessed with. When Bob finally did come home, he also tried to stay strong but he didn't do as well as his wife. He spoke of visiting the church, but soon grief overwhelmed him.

"My little, little child!" cried Bob. "My little child!" He simply couldn't contain his unbearable grief. Bob was indeed a blessed man; his family swarmed him with love, trying to comfort him. Marley wondered, perhaps, if he and Scrooge had been raised in loving families like this one, they might not have turned out so selfish and greedy. Bob seemed to cheer up a bit as he talked about running into Fred, Scrooge's nephew, and how kind he had been. Bob was surrounded by the love of his family and he was hopeful.

"Whenever we part from one another, I am sure we shall none of us forget poor Tiny Tim." The entire family chimed in, "Never Father." Scrooge was in shock, his broken heart clearly visible on his wrinkled face.

"I am very happy," said Bob. "I am very happy." Marley knew that he was telling the truth and was amazed that even amidst so much grief, love had made this man happy again. The Cratchets continued hugging away their grief as Ebenezer wiped away a single tear flowing down his cheek. Both Elisabeth and Jacob were startled when the Time Scepter chimed out its warning.

"We must hurry," she said. Somehow Scrooge knew this as well.

"Specter," said Scrooge, "something informs me that our parting moment is at hand. I know it, but I know not how. Tell me what man that was, whom we saw lying dead." Elisabeth touched the scepter and they were suddenly standing in a grave yard connected to the church. Scrooge was visibly shaking with fear.

"Before I draw nearer to that stone to which you point," said Scrooge, "answer me one question. Are these the shadows of the things that will be, or are they shadows of the things that may be, only?" The ghost didn't answer, he merely pointed toward the stone. Jacob could hear Scrooge gasp as he read his own name on the gravestone.

"Spirit!" he cried, tightly clutching, at his robe, "Hear me! I am not the man I was. I will not be the man I must have been, but for this intervention. Why show me this, if I am past all hope?" Marley wondered the same thing.

"I will honor Christmas in my heart, and try to keep it all the year. I will live in the past, the present, and the future. The spirits of all three shall strive within me. I will not shut out the lessons that they teach. Oh, tell me I may sponge away the writing on this stone?" Scrooge was desperate; he grabbed hold of the ghost's hand and wouldn't let go. The ghost seemed frightened by this and wilted, curling into a ball like a dead spider.

"No, Ebenezer!" Elisabeth warned, "Let go, you're frightening him." Marley couldn't believe what he was hearing. How could this terrifying specter be afraid of Scrooge? Elisabeth looked scared as she hurried to turn her Time Scepter one last time, causing Scrooge to disappear.

"Merry Christmas, Ebenezer," she said lovingly. The Time Scepter, being of no more use, faded into oblivion, returning from whence it came. Elisabeth hurried over to the shaking ghost of the future and took hold of his black robe. She quickly ripped the garment from the body of the ghost, shredding it into many tiny pieces which floated to the ground and disappeared. To Marley's surprise the ghost was wearing an expensive suit that would have rivaled his own, finest suit. The spirit looked skeletal and frail with bleached white skin and withered fingers. Marley could feel that the spirit was bathed in guilt even though he didn't have that many chains binding him to the earth. When the ghost did finally speak, his voice was very gravelly and each word seemed to cause him a great deal of pain.

"I tried to speak to him but I couldn't," the ghost wheezed. "This is all, my fault." Marley was confused as to how it could possibly be this spirit's fault that Scrooge ended up the way he did. Elisabeth soothed the trembling ghost with her lilting voice.

"It's ok Edward." she said, moving closer to the cowering specter.

"I wanted to warn him," the ghost explained, "but I was worried he would know my voice and it would ruin everything, so I remained silent." The ghost looked even sadder then before.

"I failed, Elisabeth, and I...... have doomed our son." Marley was smiling as he learned the identity of Scrooge's final visitor. The Ghost of Christmas Future was Ebenezer's own father. Marley was impressed with how well Elisabeth had cast her little drama. All three of the ghosts were heavily invested in the plan's success. Elisabeth took hold of one of her husband's hands. Marley watched in amazement as her energy and love slowly caused the shriveled specter to grow healthier and more alive.

"Ebenezer forgives you," she said, taking hold of his other hand. "And I forgive you." That hand also sprang to life and Marley watched as the joy traveled up the ghost's arms and transformed his whole body. His face puffed out, growing long sideburns and a magnificent mustache. The old ghost was smiling as he felt the joy of forgiveness spreading through his entire soul. The two weary ghosts hugged each other and an explosion of energy burst outward, breaking the few remaining chains and freeing both of them. The chain links fell, clanking and rattling, to the ground. Elisabeth was staring at her wrists, which were free of the shackles. She was overjoyed as she turned back to Jacob and hugged him. She thanked him for everything he had done and left him with a few parting words, which he would treasure.

"Don't give up, Jacob," she promised. "I assure you that you too will be free of your chains one day, and I will see you again, my dear fellow. We shall see each other in the light of Heaven. Scrooge's father also thanked Marley.

"I will never be able to repay you," he said, "for all that you have done to save my family." Marley could hear a distant voice crying out. It was that of a young woman calling to them from up above.

"Come along you two." Both Scrooges looked up and said in unison the name, "Fran!"

The two ghosts held hands as there energies sped up. They began glowing extremely bright and floated freely from the Earth. Jacob was jealous that he couldn't go with them, but Elisabeth's last words had given him hope. He knew his time was up and he prepared for the lonely journey that awaited him.

"Lord, I have also learned, just as Ebenezer has. I know now that I wasted my life, and if it be your will, that I wander the world alone again, I will try to help as many others as I can." He waited for the familiar pull of the iron chains but they didn't move. Marley was bewildered and started speaking to the chains themselves.

"What has gotten into you?" He was confused at first but a crystal clear thought popped into his head. Somehow he knew that the chains were dying; never again would they drag him aimlessly around the Earth. He was free to make his own way through the world.

"Why?" he asked, staring up toward Heaven. Suddenly, he heard Scrooge's voice from far away.

"I am as giddy as a school boy!" Marley could see a vision from across town. Scrooge was hopping out of bed and dancing around his room.

"I will live in the past, the present, and the future!" In his mind Marley could hear him saying, "The spirits of all three shall strive within me. Oh, Jacob Marley! Heaven, and the Christmas time be praised for this! I say it on my knees, old Jacob, on my knees!" Marley was smiling as he began heading off to Scrooge's house. When he arrived, he was greeted with the joyful sight of the poulterer's man bringing the prized turkey from his shop to Ebenezer's front door. Jacob waited while Scrooge paid the man and put him into a cab. Marley laughed openly when he learned that the large turkey was going to Bob Cratchet's house. He could scarcely imagine the look of glorious surprise on the faces of that lovely family. Something peculiar happened as Scrooge gave the young boy the half a crown he was promised. Marley felt the chain with the large cashbox, jingling. He wasn't sure if it was just his imagination, but the long coil felt lighter somehow. Scrooge was dressed in his finest suit as he strolled down the street, Marley following closely behind. Suddenly, Scrooge stopped short, causing Marley to halt his own progress for fear of passing right through him. Jacob rose slightly and saw what had given Ebenezer such pause. The two men who were collecting for the poor were just up ahead. Scrooge found his courage and raced up to them.

"My dear Sir," Scrooge began. "How do you do?" He greeted the two men with such a remorseful look on his face that the men were taken aback.

"Mr. Scrooge?" one of them asked.

"Yes, that is my name, and I fear it may not be pleasant to you. Allow me to ask your pardon. And will you have the goodness," Scrooge said whispering in the man's ear.

"Lord, bless me!" The man shrieked. He asked Scrooge if he was serious and he assured the man that he was.

"If you please," said Scrooge, "not a farthing less. A great many back payments are included in it, I assure you." As Scrooge finished speaking, Marley felt something happening. He stared in disbelief as the largest of the three cashboxes began to melt. The molten sides of the transparent metal box dripped down as the coins spilled out, bouncing into the street and fading away. When Marley tugged at the chain he found it was empty. The box and all of its heavy contents were gone.

"Oh, thank you, Scrooge, my fine fellow," Marley said with new found hope. "I believe in time, you will save both of our souls. Oh, what a dear friend you are Ebenezer!" Jacob's heart was free and he felt a giddiness he had never known before. He and Scrooge both bubbled with Christmas spirit. He followed Scrooge to Church, bouncing the whole way. Scrooge stopped out front before he went in and gave a few coins to three beggars.

"One for me," Scrooge said as he dropped two coins into each man's cup, "and one for Marley." Jacob's gratitude to his old friend was immense as three more chain links fell away. After Church, Scrooge walked along the snowy streets, whistling a Christmas tune, with Marley joining in as well. Scrooge eventually ended up out front of his nephew Fred's house. He walked past the door several times, trying to work up the courage to go in. Finally, he took a deep breath and raced up to the front door. Scrooge was busy talking to the maidservant at the entrance when Marley pushed past them both and went into the main room. He heard Fred's startled voice as he first caught sight of his uncle.

"Why, bless my soul!" cried Fred, "who's that?"

"It is I, your Uncle Scrooge. I have come to dinner," Ebenezer humbly answered his nephew. "Will you let me in, Fred?" The boy nearly shook his uncle's arm off. Marley spent a several minutes roaming around the party until he ran into young Clayton.

"Oh, thank you, kind Sir," the boy said, vigorously shaking his hand. "Because of you, I have decided to return to Heaven as you suggested." He told Marley that he would rise up after the party. This Christmas would be his last upon the earth. He was still thanking Jacob, when one of the steel ledgers chained to Marley began to glow. Clayton looked at it for a second and then tried to pick it up. It came apart in his hand, and all of the pages fell out and drifted invisibly to the floor.

"Oh, this is a Merry Christmas indeed!" Jacob yelled. He thanked Clayton and moved on, for Marley could see that Katherine, the ghost mother wrapped in chains, trying to make up with her daughter in the purple dress. Marley floated over to her straight away.

"I don't believe we got to finish our conversation," he said, smiling at her. Marley and Katherine were talking when the music started playing. Jacob looked over to find old Ebenezer dancing with the wife of his nephew. Even though he was an abysmal dancer, Marley decided to give it a go.

"Would you care to dance?" he asked the beautiful ghost. She looked sheepish at first but, allowed him to steal her away to the dance floor. She thanked him for rescuing her daughter from Clayton. The danced until the music stopped. Marley had never enjoyed music all that much while he was alive but now he wanted more.

"I know that you play the violin." Marley told her, "and I was wondering......" The woman blushed and went silent. Then she took out her violin and brought it to life with a swipe of her bow. Scrooge played the games and Marley enjoyed listening to Katherine play her violin, especially when the guests started sing Christmas songs. No one could hear her music except Marley and Clayton, but they both thoroughly enjoyed it and told her so. She played for Jacob for the remainder of the party, and she was still playing the next morning as Scrooge waited for Bob to return to work at the counting house. Scrooge was going to surprise Cratchet, who managed to show up a full eighteen minutes late. Scrooge greeted his clark with a terrible fury.

"What do you mean, coming here at this time of day?" Bob was scared senseless as he pleaded his case. Ebenezer, though, would have none of it. The old woman played her violin and the music perfectly captured Scrooge's pretend anger. It even climbed in intensity as his voice grew louder.

"I am not going to stand for this sort of thing any longer. And therefore," he continued, leaping out of his chair, "and therefore, I am about to raise your salary!" The notes of the violin changed from scary to joyful. The woman played so fiercely that she was sweating. Marley, being the gentleman that he was, took off the wrap from around his head and gave it to her. To his utter amazement, his jaw no longer needed it to hold itself up.

"A merrier Christmas, Bob, my good fellow, than I have given you for many a year. I'll raise your salary and endeavor to assist your struggling family, and we will discuss your affairs this very afternoon over a Christmas bowl of smoking bishop, Bob!" Cratchet was still in disbelief and just stood there staring at Scrooge.

"Make up the fires, and buy another coal-scuttle before you dot another I, Bob Cratchet!" Scrooge was better than his word. He did it all, and infinitely more; and to Tiny Tim, who did not die, he was a second father. He became as good a friend, as good a master, and as good a man, as the good old city knew. Old Scrooge even ended up contacting his old fiancée. Apparently her elderly husband had recently passed and she welcomed the generous Ebenezer, whom she had originally fallen in love with. Marley's fortunes also changed. Ebenezer was now so generous that Marley's chains were disappearing fast.

On that distant day when Scrooge had finally squeezed all of the joy from the years he had left, he followed Marley to the grave. As Ebenezer's soul drifted up out of the same hospital Marley had died in. Scrooge found his old friend Jacob waiting for him. Marley's pitiful chains were down to just a few small strands. Jacob knew it wouldn't be too much longer before he would also be able to rise back up to the gate.

"Oh, Jacob, "Scrooge said, smiling. "I never properly thanked you for intervening on my behalf." Marley was caught completely unaware as Scrooge reached over and hugged him.

"Thank you, Jacob," Scrooge said, sounding extremely grateful, "thank you, my old friend, for saving my life." As Ebenezer said this, Marley could feel the last of the chains crumbling into dust and falling away. Marley wept as he was now free to go home as well.

"You are wrong, my old friend," he said, a tear rolling down his cheek. "It was you who saved me." The two souls rose up together toward the distant gates of Heaven. As they climbed of sight Marley told Scrooge how it had all happened.

"It all started, when I first met the Lady of Light," Marley said smiling. "It wasn't until later that I learned she was actually your mother."


End file.
